Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei cautioned Saudi Arabia on Wednesday against making the mistake of normalizing relations with Israel.
“These people believe that if they can convince regional countries to normalize ties with the Zionist regime, the issue of Palestine will be resolved,” Khamenei stated in a televised address, as quoted by AFP.
“They are mistaken. The problem will not be solved until Palestine is returned to the Palestinian people.”
Khamenei’s remarks coincide with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Israel on Wednesday as part of a regional push to facilitate a hostage agreement with Hamas, discourage Israel from entering Rafah, and advocate for a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal.
In exchange for Saudi Arabia recognizing the Jewish State, the US is allegedly prepared to offer the kingdom bilateral agreements on defense and nuclear cooperation. However, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations are insisting that the establishment of a Palestinian state be included in any such agreement, a position that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly opposed, according to the report.
The White House has not officially commented on how it intends to address Netanyahu’s resistance to the creation of a Palestinian state. However, during a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Blinken suggested that the ongoing violence in Gaza only serves to benefit Israel’s adversary, Iran.
“The continuation of this cycle solely advantages Iran and its proxies. As this choice becomes more evident, I believe people will begin to seriously consider it and make decisions,” Blinken remarked.
