“The Palestinian resistance factions are free and independent in making any decision they need, and naturally we support all the measures the resistance takes to combat the Zionist aggression within the context of its legitimate defense,” Iranian state media cited Raisi as saying in a phone call with Putin.
The Iranian president also warned that the “continued Zionist war crimes” would lead to a long and multi-front war.
In addition to Raisi, Putin also held phone calls with other key players in the conflict including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and is set to hold calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas.
Putin and Assad “stressed the need to immediately deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in the [Gaza] Strip, and to stop the bombing and displacement carried out by the Israeli entity against innocent people in Gaza,” according to Syrian state media.
Since Hamas militants launched a multi-pronged air, ground, and sea offensive and infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has traveled to Baghdad, Beirut and Damascus to hold talks on the situation.
Amir-Abdollahian called on the US to “control” Israel’s actions in the region to prevent the war with Hamas from spilling over.
Iran’s foreign ministry denied helping Palestinian Hamas militants plot their attack against Israel, contradicting reports by the Wall Street Journal that Tehran greenlit the assault.
Over 4,000 people have been reported dead on both sides in the first 10 days of the war. The Israeli army has reported over 1,400 dead while Palestinian officials have placed their death toll at 2,778.
