Tehran: Iran has condemned the 'dangerous' joint U.S.-Israeli plot to forcibly relocate the people of the Gaza Strip, calling for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the issue. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a Saturday phone call with OIC Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha that the Islamic Ummah (community) needs to adopt a coordinated and unified stance to thwart the U.S.-Israeli plot.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Araghchi emphasized that Islamic countries have a weighty responsibility to protect the legitimate and fundamental rights of the oppressed Palestinian people, especially the right to self-determination and a safe life in their own land. He described the scheme to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza as a crime equivalent to genocide, with dangerous ramifications for regional and global stability and security.
Araghchi urged the OIC to take a decisive and effective decision by holding an extraordinary meeting with the foreign ministers of the member states to defend the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Taha, for his part, condemned the crimes against the Palestinian people and rejected the plot to forcibly relocate them as completely unacceptable. He welcomed Iran's proposal for an extraordinary OIC meeting and stated that he would consult with member states on this matter.
Araghchi also engaged in discussions with his Turkish, Pakistani, Egyptian, and Tunisian counterparts, who supported Iran's call for an extraordinary OIC meeting. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan highlighted the need for Islamic countries to support Palestinian rights. Pakistan's Muhammad Ishaq Dar emphasized the OIC's duty to support the oppressed Palestinian people, calling for ongoing consultations with Islamic countries.
Egypt's Badr Abdelatty rejected attempts to force Gazans from their land, stressing the need for extensive consultations among Islamic countries. Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti reiterated that Gaza and the West Bank are integral parts of Palestine, emphasizing the OIC's existential philosophy to support al-Quds and Palestine.
The controversy follows U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for the U.S. to take 'ownership' of the Gaza Strip, turning it into a tourism hub and displacing its Palestinian inhabitants. His remarks, made at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sparked global outrage, including protests outside the White House, warning that Palestinian territory is 'not for sale.'