Iran says Arab nations ‘sinned’ by normalising ties with Israel

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco all agreed to normalise ties with Israel last year at Washington’s request

Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on Sunday these governments had ‘made big errors’ and acted ‘against Islamic unity’

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Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran on Sunday. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:18pm, 24 Oct 2021Updated: 10:20pm, 24 Oct 2021

Arab nations that normalised ties with Israel last year have “sinned” and should reverse such moves, Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on Sunday.

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco all agreed to normalise ties with Israel in 2020, as Washington under the administration of then-US president Donald Trump made Arab-Israeli rapprochement a foreign policy priority.

“Some governments have unfortunately made errors – have made big errors and have sinned in normalising [their relations] with the usurping and oppressive Zionist regime,” Khamenei said, referring to Israel.

“It is an act against Islamic unity, they must return from this path and make up for this big mistake,” Khamenei added, in a speech marking a public holiday honouring the birth of the Prophet Mohammed.

Iran has in the four decades since the 1979 Islamic revolution positioned itself as a strong defender of the Palestinian cause.

Egypt and Jordan were until last year the only two Arab countries to normalise relations with Israel.

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