Iran's President Hassan Rouhani accused Western powers of trying to exploit differences between the world's Sunni and Shia Muslims to divert attention from the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state television reported yesterday.
Rouhani's comments came as tens of thousands of Iranians joined anti-Israel rallies across the country to express support for the Palestinians. They chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" and burned the Israeli flag.
"The global arrogance (the United States and its allies) wants to create discord among Muslims ... Unity is the only way to restore stability in the region," Rouhani said.
"We stand with the dispossessed Palestinian nation."
Opposition to Israel, which Tehran refuses to recognise, has been a cornerstone of Iranian policy since its 1979 Islamic revolution. Shia Muslim Iran backs Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups who oppose peace with Israel.
