Iran Denounces Al-Aqsa Mosque Intrusion, Accuses ’Israel’ of Provoking Regional Instability

By Staff, Agencies

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has issued a strong condemnation of the recent incursion by far-right “Israeli” ministers and illegal settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”].

The Ministry characterized the move as a deliberate provocation aimed at heightening tensions in West Asia.

“The incursion by ministers of the illegitimate 'Israeli' entity and Zionist settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound represents a flagrant desecration of Muslim sanctities, a violation of the rights of Muslims globally, and a calculated provocation designed to incite tension and instability in the region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani stated in a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday evening.

Kanani further condemned the unlawful act and called for a robust response from the international community, particularly from Muslim nations and governments. “The international community and global organizations bear an immediate and objective responsibility to halt the Zionist entity’s barbaric actions, which flagrantly violate international laws and norms,” the top Iranian diplomat emphasized.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kanani had accused “Israeli” settlers of deliberately inciting tensions through their intrusion into Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“This malevolent act is clear evidence that the leaders of the 'Israeli' entity are pursuing their warmongering agenda by exploiting the religious sentiments of Palestinian Muslims and the broader Muslim world,” he asserted.

Kanani also urged the United States and certain Western nations to rein in the criminal actions of the “Israeli” entity, to work towards ending the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and to curb the entity’s aggressive policies in Palestine and the wider region if they are genuinely committed to security and stability in West Asia.

On Tuesday morning, over 2,200 illegal settlers forcibly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark the so-called “Tisha B'Av.” Among the intruders were far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Yitzhak Wasserlauf.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, revered as the third holiest site in Islam, has previously been the target of widespread incursions by far-right “Israeli” groups, particularly during Jewish holidays such as Passover.

According to an agreement signed between the apartheid “Israeli” entity and the Jordanian government following the 1967 occupation of Al-Quds, non-Muslim worship at the holy site is prohibited. However, in practice, the rights of Muslims have often been disregarded.

This latest incursion occurs against the backdrop of the ongoing brutal military campaign by the “Israeli” entity in the Gaza Strip, which has persisted since October 7 of last year.

The conflict has claimed the lives of at least 39,929 Palestinians and left 92,240 others injured.

The war began after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched the unprecedented retaliatory military operation, Al-Aqsa Flood, in the “Israeli”-occupied Palestinian territories near Gaza.