Shudder Down Spine of Zionist Regime

 Millions March Across World to Mark Quds Day

TEHRAN — Millions of Iranians marched in the capital of Tehran and 900 other cities and towns on Friday to mark “Quds Day”, a traditional show of support for the Palestinians. It was the first time such marches were held since before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The movement you see today is a symbol of the unity of the Islamic ummah, and Inshallah [God willing] this unity will lead to the destruction of the Zionist regime,” President Ebrahim Raisi said.
“We believe it is certain that Quds will be liberated,” the president said, while marching on the streets of Tehran.
Iran and other countries around the world have been marking the day, the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Imam Khomeini.
Demonstrators chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” and set fire to American, British and Israeli flags.
A variety of ballistic missiles was on display at the rally, including the country’s new domestically-made Kheibar Buster missile.
The rallies all headed to Tehran University, where the ceremony ended at Friday’s noon prayers. Similar rallies took place in other Iranian cities and towns.
Head of the Quds Force Gen. Esmail Qaani said Iran backs all groups ready to fight the occupying regime of Israel.
“We support any front that is formed against this criminal regime, and we will support any community that is ready to fight this criminal regime,” he said in a speech in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
Many high-ranking Iranian officials attended the rally in Tehran, including President Ebrahim Raisi and chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Gen. Muhammad Salami.
Gen. Salami warned the Zionist regime that it would face a “painful response” if it takes any offensive action against Iran. “If the slightest act of evil is being taken by you, you know better than me what will befall you,” he said.
The top general said Israel’s actions are creating conditions for its own destruction.
“Stop your vicious deeds. You know well that we are people of action and reaction,” General Salami said, addressing the occupying regime of Israel.
“Our responses are painful. You create conditions for your own destruction. We will not leave you alone ...You know better than me what will befall you if you take evil action.”
Iran’s military has vowed to retaliate harshly against any attack by the Zionist regime which has long threatened military action against Iran.

In February, the Islamic Republic unveiled its “Kheibar Buster” missile with a range of 1,450 km (900 miles).
Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, says its ballistic missiles have a range of up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles) and are capable of reaching the occupying regime of Israel and U.S. bases in the region.
Kheibar refers to an ancient Jewish oasis in the Arabian Peninsula’s Hijaz region that was overrun by Muslim warriors in the 7th century.
Tehran regards its ballistic missile program as an important deterrent against the United States, the Zionist regime and other adversaries, and has rejected Western demands to halt it.
Gen. Salami said Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei established the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the IRGC, to “expand the Islamic revolution in other Islamic countries with the aim of pressuring the Zionist regime … and in the near future, the regime’s elimination from the world’s political geography”.
He also took aim at several Arab countries that have moved to normalize relations with Israel, including under the so-called Abraham Accords that were signed between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and the Zionist regime in 2020.
“Palestinians have come to the truth that security, independence and return to motherland cannot be wished to existence” through documents and “there can be no compromise with the cruel,” Gen. Salami said.
Friday rallies came amid continued tensions in the Palestinian occupied territories that have seen Israeli forces repeatedly raiding the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
Protests were held across other parts of the world, including in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Bahrain, the United States and Britain.
Imam Khomeini proposed Quds Day and called upon all Muslims and freedom seekers for an international solidarity in supporting legal rights of Palestinians and all the oppressed people.
The day has thus become a significant symbol of global resistance movement against the occupation, terrorism, apartheid and injustice in the global order.
The occupying regime of Israel’s practices and crimes against Palestinians have reached such severity that is reminiscent of Apartheid era South Africa.
Even international human rights organizations, normally reluctant to take a stance against Israel, have joined the chorus of objections.