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Subscriptions help us deliver original coverage of the region's most important issues.The story: Following Tehran’s declared backing for the truce in Gaza, Iran’s supreme leader has doubled down on his insistence that a referendum should end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei notably dismissed the notion that the Islamic Republic seeks the expulsion of Jews, underscoring that some African countries which ended colonial rule saw it as “expedient” to keep white settlers.
Khamenei additionally charged that the events since the Palestinian Hamas movement’s surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 have collapsed sectarian and ethnic dichotomies which have divided the region. At the same time, Iran has been upping pressure on Muslim countries which maintain trade with Israel.
The coverage: Speaking on Nov. 29, Khamenei derided claims that Iran wants to expel all “Jews or Zionists” from present-day Israel.
The supreme leader also referenced his experiences in post-colonial countries in Africa as president in the 1980s as a possible model for how a future Palestine could look.
Khamenei further asserted that “fake and imposed dichotomies” pitting Arabs versus non-Arabs and Shiites against Sunnis have collapsed amid the Gaza war.
The apparent effort to moderate outside views of Iran’s regional policies comes as the foreign ministry in Tehran says the Islamic Republic has been pushing for a lasting ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
Two days earlier, on Nov. 25, the supreme leader’s office published an infographic naming Muslim countries that continue to trade with Tel Aviv.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi—appointed by Khamenei as a member of the Guardian Council in June 2019—on Nov. 27 criticized Muslim nations that have retained ties with Israel.
The context/analysis: Iran has over the past month been calling on Muslim states to cut all ties with Israel in the wake of the Gaza war.
Iran’s calls for a boycott come amid reports of attacks on Israel-linked ships off the coast of Yemen in past weeks.
Iranian media have been critical of the Muslim world’s response to the Hamas-Israel war.
The Qatar-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect on Nov. 24, has been hailed as a “victory” for the Palestinian movement by Iranian officials and hardline media.
The future: The Gaza war has presented Iran with an opportunity to not only try to derail Arab normalization with Israel but also pressure Muslim countries such as neighboring Azerbaijan. Baku enjoys close ties with Tel Aviv and is currently pursuing improved ties with Tehran after a period of tension.