TEHRAN – The Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has called for the formation of an international coalition to stand against bullying by the U.S. and other Western governments.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with the visiting Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Tehran on Monday. 

He said Tehran and Havana can take a unified stance on important global issues, such as the Palestinian cause, due to their common interests and concerns. Such practice, he said, can be greatly influential.

Both Iran and Cuba have been targeted by crippling Western sanctions since the two countries overthrew U.S.-backed governments in the 50s and 70s. 

The Leader stressed that both Iranians and Cubans possess qualities of honesty, steadfastness, and seriousness that arise from their revolutionary attitudes towards injustice.

“The two countries must strengthen their relations in various fields, including scientific cooperation, more than ever before,” the Leader stated. 

He also noted that the current positions of Cuba on important international issues, including Palestine, are in line with those of Iran. 

“The issue of Palestine is not only related to the recent bombings in Gaza. The people of Palestine have always been subjected to various tortures, suffering, and massacres over the past 75 years. But now, the tragedy in Gaza is so great that it has become evident to masses around the world and cannot be concealed.”

Cuban president calls Israeli war on Gaza “unacceptable genocide”
 
Díaz-Canel, for his part, considered the Islamic Republic’s positions to be in line with those of Havana. “Iran-Cuba relations have been on the right track after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, and in our talks in Tehran, we have focused all our efforts on deepening these relations, especially in the economic and commercial fields,” the president highlighted.

Díaz-Canel said the two countries can help each other in various fields, especially in confronting interventionist actions and sanctions by the United States and its allies. 

He added: “Iran and Cuba can also increase their international cooperation and influence in important global issues such as Palestine.”

The Cuban official slammed ongoing Israeli crimes in Gaza as an “unacceptable genocide”. 
“International organizations have turned a blind eye to the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Gaza, two-thirds of whom are children and women. What is astonishing is that those who always complained about the war in Ukraine are now silent in the face of the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Gaza,” the president added, pointing to the West’s double standards over Gaza and Ukraine.