Iran Portugal call for immediate truce in Gaza

Portugal’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel had a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday and exchanged views on the bilateral relations and the situation in the region, with the developments in Palestine standing out in their talks.

Amirabdollahian started off by congratulating the formation of a new cabinet in Portugal and Rangel’s designation as the new foreign minister of the country. He noted that the two countries share a history of good and long-standing ties.

The Iranian foreign minister stressed that the Zionist regime’s war and genocide in Gaza should stop and the rights of the oppressed people in Palestine should be respected.

He said the Zionist regime is the “root cause of all tensions and the deteriorating situation in the region.”

For this part, the Portuguese foreign minister also reiterated that an immediate ceasefire should be established in Gaza.

Rangel said, “The Portuguese government supports the formation of an independent Palestinian state and calls on all regional countries to make efforts in order to ease the tensions in the region.”

Meanwhile, both sides exchanged their latest views on a Portuguese-flagged Israeli ship seized by Iranian forces.

Amirabdollahian touched on the issue, saying, “We seriously consider the release of the ship’s crew as a humanitarian issue, and we have announced to their ambassadors in Tehran their access to consular services,  release and extradition.”