Reactions In Iran To Trump's Recognition Of Jerusalem As Israel's Capital: Incitement To Violence, Calls To Revive Intifada And Destroy Israel

Reactions in Iran to U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel were characterized by incitement of the Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab public to violence against Israel and American targets, calls to revive the intifada, and statements blaming the U.S. and Israel for the rioting in the Middle East and the rest of the world protesting Trump's announcement.

Senior Iranian officials and regime mouthpieces – politicians, members of the military, and journalists – underscored that the destruction of Israel is imminent and demanded that Muslim countries in the region organize people's armies in the style of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Qods Force so that they could be sent to destroy Israel.

Beyond the calls, particularly those to the Palestinians, to launch a new intifada against Israel, it was reported that Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani had spoken on December 11, 2017 with the commanders of the armed wings of Hamas – the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades – and of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) – the Al-Quds Brigades – saying that Iran was prepared to assist and support the forces of Islamic and Palestinian resistance in every way, and pointing out that the rest of the resistance groups in the region are also ready to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque.[1]

The Kuwaiti daily Al-Jarida reported that, according to one of Soleimani's advisers, Soleimani had demanded that the commanders of the Hamas and PIJ armed wings recruit new activists in the West Bank, and that he had told them that the arming of the West Bank was a top priority for Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Also according to the report, discussions are already underway with Syrian and Lebanese entities about ways to smuggle weapons to the Palestinians in the West Bank.[2]

Moreover, Qais Al-Khazali, the leader of the Iran-sponsored Iraqi Shi'ite militia Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haqq, was filmed touring the Israel-Lebanon border and being briefed by Hizbullah members on Israel's northern settlements (view the MEMRI TV clip here or below)

The following are top Iranian regime members' reactions to President Trump's announcement of the U.S.'s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel:

Supreme Leader Khamenei: "Everyone Must Make Efforts And Wage Jihad To Save And Liberate The Palestinian People"

In a December 6, 2017 speech to senior regime officials and ambassadors of Islamic countries marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said: "America, the Zionist regime, those who are backward, and those who are subordinate to the superpowers are the pharaohs of today's world. They are investing efforts to cause division and war in the Islamic world... The issue of Palestine heads the political issues for the Islamic ummah, and everyone must make efforts and wage jihad to save and liberate the Palestinian people.

"The claim of the enemies of Islam regarding the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of the Zionist regime stems from their impotence. The Islamic world will stand against this plot, and the Zionists will receive an even harsher blow as a result of this step. In the end, dear Palestine will be liberated. Friends and enemies of Iran all over the world must be aware that the current problems are smaller than the problems of the last four decades. Iran will neutralize them all the more forcefully, and fly the flag of the honor of Islam from ever higher summits."[3]

Supreme Leader Khamenei with President Hassan Rohani in the background (Source: Farsi.khamenei.ir)

President Rohani: "Jerusalem Belongs To Islam… Its Liberation Is The Supreme Goal Of The Muslims

Speaking on the same occasion, President Rohani said: "A new plot has been set before the Islamic world. Jerusalem belongs to Islam, to the Muslims, and to the Palestinians. There is no place here for more foolhardiness on the part of the global arrogance [the U.S.]. The liberation of Jerusalem is the supreme goal of the Muslims... No Muslim nation, including the Iranian nation, will allow the arrogance and Zionism to attack those things that are holy to Islam.

"The Muslims, including the Palestinians, must unite and rise up against the great plot – the declaration that Jerusalem is the capital of the Zionist regime. In this matter, great responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Islamic countries and the organizations of Islamic cooperation."[4]

Tehran Friday Preacher Ayatollah Khatami: "We Must Not Settle For Condemnations... Real Steps Must Be Taken"; "The Shout Of 'Death To Israel' Expresses God's Revulsion And Rage"

In his sermon on December 8, Tehran Friday preacher Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami stated: "We must not settle for condemnations [of Trump's announcement]... real steps must be taken, and, as the mujahid leader of Hizbullah [Hassan Nasrallah] said, we must expel the ambassadors and close the embassies of the Zionist regime all over the world."

The worshippers chanted: "Death to America, death to England, death to the Zionists."

Khatami continued: "The enemy has become impertinent, because America and the Zionist regime see that the demonstrations continue for a while and then stop. [Thus], they must not stop. The protests and demonstrations must continue until the Zionist regime completely backtracks from this criminal decision. Another point: Do not underestimate the value of your sacred march after the Friday sermon. God loves this action and this protest ritual. The shout of 'Death to Israel' expresses God's revulsion and rage."

The worshippers responded by chanting; "Death to Israel."

Ayatollah Khatami (Source: Mehr News Agency, Iran, December 8, 2017)

"Another point is that with his decision, Trump eradicated the [track of] talks that has existed for 70 years, and showed that only through intifada can we heal the Palestine issue. These intifadas transform the day of the Zionist regime into black night. Attack this occupying regime. The more damage you cause it, the more your deeds will find favor in the eyes of God."[5]

Hossein Sheikh Al-Islam, Adviser To Foreign Minister Zarif: "I Ask… To Utilize The Potential Of The Power Of The People In The Islamic Countries To Destroy The Occupier Regime In Jerusalem"

On December 11, Hossein Sheikh Al-Islam, adviser to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said: "I ask the parliamentary representatives of the Islamic countries who are to visit Iran on Wednesday [December 13] to leverage the potential of the power of their people to destroy the occupation regime in Jerusalem. We have seen what they did against the terrorists in the region. Some of our dear [friends] joined together to defend the grave of the Prophet's grandson [in Karbala, Iraq]. The Quran mentions the special status of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Don't the Islamic countries have the necessary potential to mobilize for the defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has high standing among Muslims?

"Just as Iran has the Qods Force to protect the interests of Jerusalem, the Islamic countries must assemble a special forces so that we can defend Jerusalem in this way.

Hussein Sheikh Al-Islam (Source: Tasnim, Iran, December 11, 2017.)

"I call upon the Islamic states, especially those whose parliamentary representatives are to meet in Iran in the near future to discuss and address the issues of the Islamic world, to dedicate particular concern and [extend particular] support to the issue of Jerusalem, so as to form an army in the Islamic world for the support of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"I call upon [the Qods Force commander], the dear General Qassem Soleimani, [and say]: You promised to end the career of the terror groups [ISIS] within three months, and did it in two. Our leader [Ali Knamenei] said that the Zionist regime would be destroyed within 25 years. Can we destroy it in 20?"[6]

Chief-Of-Staff Baqeri: Trump's Announcement "Will Ignite A Big Intifada... The Muslims In The Region Will Not Tolerate This Cancerous Growth"

Iranian Chief-of-Staff Mohammed Baqeri said on December 12: "The announcement of Jerusalem as [Israel's] capital will ignite a big intifada which even America's allies will find hard to stomach. This mistaken decision will be the beginning of welcome developments... Iran is magnanimous enough to forgive the countries of the region that have sinned [i.e., Saudi Arabia]. It is the Zionist regime that is the root of the region's problems, and the Muslims in the region will not tolerate this cancerous growth."[7]

Chief-of-Staff Mohammed Baqeri (Source: Tasnim, Iran, December 11, 2017.)

IRGC Statement: The Palestinian Intifada Will Soon Destroy Zionism

An English-language statement issued by the IRGC in response to Trump's announcement, published by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency on December 8, stated: "The Palestinian Intifada will continue in the new phase with a higher speed with the all-out support of the Islamic Ummah... The intifada will unveil the scandalous face of the Great Satan’s strategies and policies in the region. With the divine blessing of the great lord, it will also put an immediate end to the criminal regime of Zionists and remove the cancerous tumor of the Zionism from the body of the Islamic world."^[8]

IRGC symbol

Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani: "Trump's Moves Accelerate The Collapse Of The Occupying Zionist Regime"; "Jerusalem Is The Capital Of The Islamic State Of Palestine"

On December 6, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, warned against making "any tension-sparking move against the interests of the Islamic world. The Islamic states," he continued, "have unanimously denounced this plot that violates the rights of the Palestinian people and paves the way for the Zionist regime in its occupation. These [countries] will use every political tool at their disposal to firmly oppose [the Zionists]... The Zionist regime and America will be directly responsible for the instability and lack of security that result from [their] unwise moves.

"Jerusalem is an integral part of Palestine. Any decision on the future of that country must be in the interest of its original inhabitants, not those who immigrated to it. No country can take decisions on behalf of this Islamic country [Palestine] in disregard of the assured rights of the Palestinian people. Trump's moves... accelerate the collapse of the occupying Zionist regime. Jerusalem is the capital of the Islamic state of Palestine..."[9]

National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani (Source: YJC, Iran, December 6, 2017).

Deputy Chief-Of-Staff Jazeiri: The Occupiers "Have No Choice But To Either Leave The Country Or Be Destroyed"

Iranian army Deputy Chief-of-Staff Masoud Jazeiri said: "Israel occupied the land of Palestine. The Palestinian people's fight against this malignant tumor continues, [and] this conveys to the occupiers that they will never enjoy peace and quiet. They have no choice but to either leave this country or be destroyed. The American leaders and the Zionist occupiers err in their reading [of reality when they] think that, in this unique state of the region, and [due to] the disharmony among the backward Arabs, they will be able to realize their long-term goals regarding the land of Palestine. But they will be defeated, just as they misread [the situation] in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. In the near future, the Zionist arsenals will belong to the Palestinians."[10]

Deputy Chief-of-Staff Masoud Jazeiri (Source: ISNA, Iran, December 7, 2017)

IRGC Commander Jaafari: "The Muslims Must Realize That, If They Don't Fight This Plot Right Now, Time Will Soon Run Out"

IRGC Commander Ali Jaafari responded to Trump's announcement on December 9, saying: "All this is a prelude to the destruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Muslims must realize that, if they don't fight this plot right now, time will soon run out. America and the Zionist regime have made a great historic mistake in the matter of Jerusalem, and with God's help, Jerusalem will become the tomb of the false Zionist regime.

"This American decision lays the groundwork for a complete denial of the Palestinian state's right to exist and of the Palestinians' right to live on Palestinian soil. To achieve this aim, they have disregarded and humiliated even their former friends in Fatah.

"We have intelligence that this decision is the result of behind-the-scenes discussions, understandings and coordination with certain Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia. They were informed about it several months in advance. The Saudi regime is acting to make sure that the Muslims' [reaction] to this new American crime remains limited to talk and communiques. They reached an agreement with America and Israel that no tangible step will be taken in defense of Jerusalem, and that the Palestinian issue will be excluded from the circle of the Islamic world's interests and sensitivities.

"But the Islamic nation will once again thwart the plans and plots of the enemies, just as it did in the matter of Kurdistan, Lebanon and Yemen, and it will punish the traitors."[11]

Defense Minister Hatami: Trump's Announcement Will "Accelerate The Destruction Of The Zionist Regime"

Defense Minister Amir Hatami said that the official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital would "accelerate the destruction of the Zionist regime and strengthen Muslim unity. The occupiers will never have peace and quiet. They will have no choice but to leave this territory. The Muslims will never allow part of the Islamic world's body to be removed from it. The American administration is responsible for [the repercussions of] its decision, which harms security." [12]

Columnist Hadi Mohammadi: Palestine Will Be Liberated In Its Entirety, Middle East Will Be Free Of America, Zionist Regime

Columnist Hadi Mohammadi wrote in a December 6, article in the daily Javan, which is affiliated with the ideological stream: "This American measure constitutes playing with fire and with a keg of gunpowder that [will explode] within Palestine but [impact] all the Islamic states. [Even] before this fire reaches America and the Zionists, the clock will start ticking towards the destruction of the dictatorship that hides behind a mask [Saudi Arabia], resulting... in the demise of the Arab dictators. Palestine will be liberated in its entirety, and the Middle East will be free of America and the Zionist regime".[13]

Columnist Hadi Mohammadi (Source: Javan, Iran, December 6, 2017.)

Regime Mouthpiece Kayhan: Trump Is Accelerating Israel's Demise

On December 8, the regime mouthpiece Kayhan came out with the headline: "Trump Is Accelerating Israel's Demise."

The front-page article stated: "From the very first hours following the announcement on the transfer of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, Trump's folly triggered a wave of anger in the countries of the Islamic world. The peoples and leaders of various countries, from Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Lebanon and Pakistan to India, America, Turkey and others, took a harsh position on it. Now they are discussing the expulsion of Israeli ambassadors from those countries that maintain relations with it. The Palestinian negotiators say that it was a mistake to hold talks [with Israel in the first place] and that we should have resisted...

"The general-secretary of Hizbullah in Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, addressed this topic in his speech, saying: 'I feel that we are facing a new Balfour Declaration. Everyone must be alert to the dangers of this American decision. This is a turning point [requiring] everyone to realize what their duty is in this regard'...

"North Korean leader Kim Jong-un condemned this decision by the American president, saying: 'There is no state called Israel for Jerusalem to be its capital'... Three years ago, it was estimated that Israel would expire within 25 years. This declaration will accelerate [its demise]."[14]

Tasnim Agency Reporter Tweets: The Only Way To Save Jerusalem Is By Armed Fighting From Gaza To The West Bank

On December 6, Hossein Dalirian, the military correspondent of the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, tweeted: "Jerusalem belongs to the Muslims, and the only way to save it is by armed fighting from Gaza to the West Bank."[15]

Image accompanying Dalirian's post