Iran's Supreme Leader Pushes for Trade Embargo against Israel

Amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei has called for a trade embargo against Israel. He has reached out to the Muslim states to put a halt to their oil and food exports in a bid to pressure Israel to stop the fighting. He made this declaration in a speech on Wednesday, as reported by the Iranian state media.

The Supreme Leader threw his weight behind the global movement of support for the people of Gaza, commending their determination and resilience. Around the world, pro-Palestinian protests have seen a significant turnout in countries like the UK, France, Italy, and the US.

In his address, Khamenei chastised the nations for their stance on the Gaza crisis. "It was the US, France, and the UK that stood against the oppressed people of Gaza, it wasn’t just the Zionist regime,” he claimed. He further condemned Israel's aggressive reprisal against the Hamas group, which it has pledged to obliterate following an attack that led to the death of 1,405 individuals.

In the face of the intensifying crisis, Iran's diplomatic circle has sent out risk assessments warning of an escalation if Israel continues its aggression against Palestinians. Top Iranian diplomat Hossein Amirabdollahian voiced these concerns in a warning that called for an urgent political intervention to prevent the crisis from spiralling out of control. This statement came in the wake of alleged attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, signaling the complexities of the regional context.