Iran and a number of Arab countries will hold simultaneous naval parades in their territorial waters to demonstrate unflinching support for Palestinians.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said thousands of vessels from Iran and other members of the Axis of Resistance, including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, will take part in the parades on the eve of the International Quds Day.
More than 3,000 light and heavy vessels of the IRGC Navy, the Basij volunteer force will partake in the parades to voice support for the Palestinian cause, he said.
IRGC marines and local sailors will parade along the southern and northern coasts of Iran in solidarity with the people of Palestine in the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman.
Adm. Tangsiri said the parades are meant to demonstrate the naval prowess of the Axis of Resistance, and send a stern warning to the ominous and oppressive Israeli regime.
“This year’s Quds Day will be commemorated more widely than ever across the globe,” he said.
Every year on the last Friday of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, worldwide rallies are held to support the Palestinian people’s resistance against Israel and the struggle to liberate their territories which have been occupied since 1967.
The annual event is seen as an opportunity for freedom-seeking people across the world, regardless of faith, to voice their support for the Palestinian cause and vent their anger at Israel.
The International Quds Day is among the legacies of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini. Back in 1979, shortly after leading an Islamic Revolution which toppled the US-backed Shah of Iran, Imam Khomeini named the last Friday of Ramadan as the Quds Day.