Iran's President accuses US of encouraging Israeli actions in Gaza during meeting with Iraqi PM

On Monday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the United States of "encouraging" Israel to "kill" Palestinians in Gaza and "commit atrocities" against them.

During his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani in Tehran, President Raisi once again called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza.

During a press conference with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Raisi stressed that "the airstrikes must stop as soon as possible, and an immediate ceasefire should be declared, along with providing aid to the oppressed people of Gaza."

He considered these heinous and inhumane acts as a form of genocide committed by Israel with the support of the United States and some European countries.

He pointed out that the "American aid to the Zionist entity encourages it to commit killings and brutal acts against the Palestinian people," saying, "The Americans claiming that they seek to help Gaza is a false promise that does not align with their actions."

For his part, al-Sudani said, "Undoubtedly, the most prominent issue is the Palestinian cause and what the Palestinian people are subjected to, including systematic killing and genocide against the people of Gaza, as well as what is happening in the West Bank at the hands of settlers."

He added, "We all know that the recent crisis was not born on October 7, but rather the result of the criminal policies of the occupation authorities against our people in Palestine, including killing, displacement, settlement policies, and encroachments on Al-Aqsa Mosque."

He believed that those who want to contain this conflict and prevent its spread in the region should exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to stop this aggression.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanani stated on Monday that "the power of the bombs that fell on Gaza in one month equals one and a half times the power of the bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima in 1945."

This unannounced meeting between the Iranian President and the Iraqi Prime Minister occurred one day after a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Baghdad as part of a tour of the Middle East.