Ayatollah Khamenei Hails Tunisia’s Anti-Israel Stances
Saied, who travelled to Iran Wednesday to attend a ceremony to pay respect to late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, met with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution before the ceremony.
At the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei welcomed to the renewal of ties between the two countries.
He underscored that the presence of a virtuous and academic figure like Saied at the helm of Tunisia presents an opportunity for the country to enhance its international standing after years of despotic rule and isolation from the Islamic world.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the 2011 Tunisian protests that triggered a wave of movements across North Africa and remarked on the Tunisian nation’s significant potential for progress and advancement.
He expressed hope that Saied’s prudence would foster unity among Tunisians from all walks of life, laying the groundwork for further progress.
Ayatollah Khamenei also commended Saied’s stance against Israel, stating that such positions should be promoted within the Arab world and that steadfastness and perseverance are the only avenues to success, Press TV reported.
In the meeting, President Saied conveyed condolences from the government and people of Tunisia over the tragic loss of President Raisi, saying he and the late president had planned to meet in Tehran soon.
The Tunisian president, referring to the shared intent of both countries to broaden relations in all areas, expressed hope that by pursuing the agreements, the expansion of cooperation would materialize in practice.
President Saied also addressed the ongoing crisis in Gaza, saying the Islamic world must abandon its current passive stance and actively seek to vindicate the rights of the Palestinian people across all Palestinian territories and push for the establishment of an independent state with al-Quds as its capital.
“Today, the global human society has outpaced the international community, with people in various countries uniting against the oppression and atrocities in Gaza,” he said.
In a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran will continue to strengthen bonds of friendship with regional states despite the “difficult” loss of President Raisi.
The Leader expressed gratitude for Qatar’s condolences and emphasized the importance of advancing collaborative relationship between Iran and Qatar.
Ayatollah Khamenei said countries in the region have no option but to unite in the face of adversarial efforts to disrupt stability and peace in the region.
The Qatari emir, for his part, said relations between Iran and Qatar have always been strong and this path will continue.
“We see no limits for expanding relations with Iran.”
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Ayatollah Khamenei also received Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Leader expressed sincere gratitude for the sympathy of the government and brotherly people of Pakistan.
He said Iran attaches top priority to its relations with Pakistan, and believes in the possibility of uplifting ties under the new Pakistani government.
“Friendly relations between brotherly countries do not always go smoothly, and we must overcome obstacles and pursue the progress of cooperation with determination and in practice,” the Leader stated.
“Raisi’s recent trip to Pakistan could be a turning point in relations between the two countries,” the Leader said. Acting President Mohammad "Mokhber will pursue the path of cooperation and the agreements."
Sharif also described Raisi’s recent trip to Pakistan as beneficial and a foundation for further expansion of relations and the roadmap to the future.
Meeting with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the Leader expressed gratitude towards Beirut for announcing public mourning following Raisi and his companions’ martyrdom.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the Islamic Republic’s relationship with the Lebanese people as “brotherly.”
The Leader praised the struggle that has been put up by the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli regime amid the dire situation that faces Gaza.
Berri, for his part, expressed intense sadness and grief on behalf of the Lebanese government and nation over the tragic accident involving President Raisi and his companions.
Addressing the regional situation, the senior parliamentarian said Lebanon could not stay silent vis-à-vis the slaughter of the people of Gaza.
He also described the primary condition for the transformation of the current regional situation as cessation of the ongoing war against Gaza.
Ayatollah Khamenei also met with Armenia’s visiting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, noting that Tehran would keep pursuing its policy of expanding its ties with Yerevan under Acting President Mokhber.
“Iran and Armenia’s relations have some opponents,” the Leader, however, said, stressing that the issue of the bilateral relations be, therefore, addressed with “attention and care.”
Late President Raisi used to be “greatly sensitive” towards the border issues that concerned Armenia, Ayatollah Khamenei stated, urging that the matter still be addressed with the same level of sensitivity.
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For his part, the Armenian premier noted that his country had been “shocked” by hearing about the tragic accident involving the late Iranian chief executive, but expressed certainty that the Islamic Republic’s affairs would be addressed without any disruption under Ayatollah Khamenei’s directions and leadership.
President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their accompanying delegation lost their lives after the helicopter carrying them crashed in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan on May 19, 2024. Their bodies were found on Monday after an extensive night-long search operation.
Iran is observing five days of national mourning with funeral processions for the victims scheduled in multiple cities.
The remains of the late officials were transferred to the Mosalla on Tuesday afternoon following funeral processions in Tabriz and Qom earlier in the day.
A major funeral procession was held in Tehran on Wednesday morning with millions of people participating in it.
The burial procession of President Raisi is set to be held on Thursday at Imam Reza (AS) shrine in Mashhad, northeast Iran.
Source: Press TV
