MUSCAT Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamidreza Assefi Saturday condemned the moves by the Zionist regime to expand settlements in occupied territories.

In an exclusive interview with IRNA in Muscat, he described the recent moves by the new Zionist prime minister who issued construction permits for over 700 residential units as being against all international norms.

The Zionist regime's Ministry of Housing and Urban Development put to tender the construction of some 708 new residential houses in the occupied territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Referring to the suppressive measures of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people, he termed the continuation of this policy as being aimed at further enforcing their occupation and increasing tension and instability in the region.

Reiterating Iran's support from the rightful struggles of the Palestinian, he called for active role of international community to prevent unilateral measures of the Zionist regime which seeks to violate the rights of the Palestinian people.

(IRNA)