Iran urges end to Gaza blockade

In a letter to the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Iran has urged global support for the rights of Palestinian people.

The Director General of Iran's Inter-Parliamentary Group, Mohsen Yahyavi, called on the international community to condemn Israel's aggression and work together to lift the ongoing Gaza blockade.

Yahyavi called Israel's measures in the Gaza Strip a flagrant violation of human rights and slammed its policy of collective punishment.

"The establishment of a Palestinian state on the basis of the Palestinians' legal demands is the key to peace in the Middle East," the letter said.

The 118th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UPI) is scheduled to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on April 13-18, with the participation of representatives from 140 member states.

The participants will discuss various issues, including the plight of migrant workers, human trafficking, and the world's current economic and political situation. Iran has sent a delegation of eight members to take part in the meeting.

The meeting will also consider possible requests for the inclusion of an emergency item proposed by the members in its agenda.

Iran and Egypt have called for condemnation of Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian lands and South Africa has also called on the United Nations to step up its role in Palestine, Darfur and other flashpoints.