TEHRAN: President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s anti-Israel stance on Monday, saying resistance movements across the region will not allow Israel’s “criminal policies” towards the Palestinians to continue.

“The Islamic Republic has always supported the resistance of the people of the region against the illegitimate Zionist regime,” Pezeshkian said in a message to Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah.

The comments signalled no change in the regional policies of the incoming government under the relatively moderate Pezeshkian who defeated his hardline rival in last weeks runoff election.

“I am certain that the resistance movements in the region will not allow this regime to continue its warmongering and criminal policies against the oppressed people of Palestine and other nations of the region,” Iranian media quoted Pezeshkian as saying.

Hezbollah and Hamas are part of a group of Iranian-backed factions in the region known as the Axis of Resistance. Israel did not immediately comment on Pezeshkian’s remarks.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024