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TEHRAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians held rallies on Friday marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in solidarity with the Palestinians and condemning Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian lands.
In the capital city of Tehran, the ralliers chanted anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans and carried banners underscoring "resistance against the atrocities of Israel" and the return of dislocated Palestinians to their homeland.
Al-Quds Day, an annual event that began in Iran in 1979, is observed on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic republic as well as in several Muslim countries.
Earlier, Iranian senior officials had called for solidarity with Palestinians on Al-Quds Day rallies.
On Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed hope that massive demonstrations would be held across Iran and the Muslim world on Friday in support of people in Palestine.
Also, President Hassan Rouhani urged Muslims worldwide to participate in the rallies to pronounce "unity and solidarity" among Muslims worldwide in support of Palestinians and "the liberation of Al-Quds."
On Friday, senior Iranian government officials, including Rouhani and his cabinet members, as well as military commanders participated in the rallies in Tehran.
Iran will stay by the side of Palestinians, Rouhani told reporters on Friday, adding that "today, the message of Iranians is the Islamic republic will remain on the side of the oppressed people and the Palestinians are not alone."
The Muslim and oppressed people of Palestine are away from their homeland for 70 years, as the occupiers have seized their lands and are not bound to any international law and any humanitarian principles," he said.
The Iranian president slammed what he called terrorism and extremism which have overshadowed the cause of Palestine in the region and in the world.
With no doubt, the Muslims will gain victory thanks to their resistance" against Israel and its regional plots, he added.
Also, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said Friday that the issue of Palestine is the Muslim world's number one priority.
He slammed some measures to sideline the cause of Palestine and said that worldwide demonstrations by Muslims on the Al-Quds Day is a move to bring Palestine back to the top of the Muslim world's list of priorities, Shamkhani told reporters, according to Tasnim news agency.
Besides, a senior Iranian commander on Friday highlighted the growing might of resistance against Israel and warned that "today, the grounds for the annihilation and collapse of the Zionist regime (of Israel) are provided more than ever."
"Today, more than 100,000 missiles are ready to fly from Lebanon, whenever the Zionists attempt to repeat their past mistakes. The missiles will be fired and hit Israel and will lead to new developments," deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami was quoted as saying by Tasnim.
In addition, there are "tens of thousands of destructive long-range missiles" in some other Islamic regions, which are pointed at the entire Israeli-occupied territories, ranging from Haifa to Tel Aviv, he said.
In the statement read at the end of the rally, the demonstrators announced the country's all-out support for the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli pressures in the occupied lands.
