American and Iranian flags
American and Iranian flagsiStock

Iran on Friday called on Palestinian Arabs to be “steadfast in their resistance” against US President Donald Trump’s moves in support of Israel on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, Reuters reported.

The statement came on the eve of “Land Day” and as Gazans prepare to hold marches along the border fence on Saturday.

“The US president’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital...and the occupied Golan Heights as part of the illegitimate Zionist regime...shows clearly that Palestinian resistance and perseverance as symbolized by ‘Earth Day’ is the right path,” Iran’s foreign ministry said on its website, according to Reuters.

Trump earlier this week signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights which was liberated by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

Trump’s decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights was met with anger in the Arab world.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait all criticized the US decision on the Golan and said the territory was “occupied Arab land”.

Iran, which is the regional rival of all these states, joined in on the criticism as well.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday accused Trump of "colonialism" in the wake of the Golan move, saying, "Nobody could have believed that a man would come in America and unilaterally and against all international laws and regulations give away a land belonging to one country to an aggressor.”

Syria on Monday accused Trump of “blatantly attacking” its sovereignty with the decision.

"[US President Donald] Trump does not have the right and the legal authority to legitimize the occupation," said a foreign ministry source.

Last week, Damascus vowed to recover the Golan Heights in the wake of Trump’s declaration, saying the Golan would remain “Syrian, Arab” and adding that Trump had shown contempt for international law.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)