TEHRAN, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian foreign minister strongly condemned Israel's violence against Palestinian protesters and the U.S. relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Monday.
"Israeli regime massacres countless Palestinians in cold blood as they protest in the world's largest open-air prison," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
He called Monday "a day of great shame," noting that the killing of Palestinian protesters comes as "Trump celebrates the relocation of U.S. illegal embassy and his Arab collaborators move to divert attention."
At least 55 Palestinians were killed and 2,771 others injured on Monday during heavy confrontations between hundreds of angry Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel.
Organized by the National Commission of the Great March of Return in eastern Gaza Strip, the mass protests against Israel started on March 30, and are expected to peak on Tuesday, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or "Day of Catastrophe."
Earlier in the day, Iran's Foreign Ministry urged Muslims to unite against U.S. relocation of embassy in Israel, according to the state TV.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry warned of the consequences of the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The move by the United States will only further strengthen the resolution and determination of the oppressed Palestinians in confronting and resisting occupation, it said.
Besides, "it will intensify anti-Zionist and anti-U.S. moves in the region and across the world," it added.
The statement also called on Islamic nations and governments "to remain vigilant in the face of plots hatched by the Zionist regime (of Israel) and its allies."
On Monday, a senior Iranian security official also lashed out at the U.S. for taking an "illegal" action in moving its embassy to Jerusalem, saying U.S. President Donald Trump has become the epitome of anarchism and violence in the international scene, Press TV reported.
The transfer of the "illegitimate" Israeli capital to Jerusalem would strengthen the Muslim world's resolve to defend the Palestinian cause and would lead to adverse consequences for the orchestrators of the plot, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said.
The catastrophic measure would reinforce coherence and unity among Muslims across the world and accelerate the Israeli regime's annihilation, Shamkhani added.
He held Israel and the United States accountable for what he called instability and insecurity caused by such "unwise" measures.
He said al-Quds (Jerusalem) is an inseparable part of Palestine, stressing that only residents of this land could make decisions about its future.
"No country can make a decision for this Muslim country by overlooking the absolute rights of the Palestinian people," Shamkhani pointed out.
Besides, Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday that the U.S. decision to relocate its embassy in Israel to the occupied Palestinian territories will not go unanswered.
"America has entered a crisis of strategic decision-making," Larijani was quoted as saying by state TV.
"These measures which are in fact the result of the feeble-mindedness of the American statesmen are causing tension in the world and America and the Zionist regime should know that they will see the outcome of their actions soon," he said.
"The Zionist regime (of Israel) and America are the cause of insecurity in the world and are not committed to any obligation," he said.
He called on international institutions to seize the occasion as "a great opportunity to take a serious and practical decision with unity and empathy against (U.S. President Donald) Trump's unwise and wrong decision."
The Iranian speaker also urged Islamic states' support for the Palestinian nation.
