Iran’s parliament recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine

Iran’s parliament unanimously approved a bill requiring the government to recognise Jerusalem as the permanent capital of Palestine.

Iranian legislators voted 207-0 in favour of the bill on Wednesday, the Iranian government’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported. There are 290 members of the parliament, or Majlis.

The vote is a response to President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this month that the United States will recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Palestinians claim eastern Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The Western Wall and the Temple Mount, the holiest sites in Judaism, are located in eastern Jerusalem.

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani told the Parliament that Trump made the announcement “in hopes of dealing a blow to Muslims,” the Turkish Andalou news agency reported.