A former adviser to Iran’s defense minister said that Tehran would seek to arm Palestinians in the Judea and Samaria region with “strategic weapons,” including missiles to target Tel Aviv and Haifa.

“A new front must be opened from the West Bank, after it has been armed, especially with missiles,” Amir Mousavi said in comments relayed by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), “because we know very well that the distance between the West Bank and Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other areas is much shorter than the distance from Gaza. Therefore, simple means are required. There is no need for long-range missiles. Short-range missiles can change the entire picture in the occupied lands.”

Iranian researcher Amir Mousavi added that Gaza would also receive increased military support from Iran. As for the Palestinian Authority which controls the West Bank and has in recent years cooperated closely with Israel on security issues, Mousavi remarked: “We hope that the brothers in the Palestinian Authority will help rather than impede this.”

Read full article from Times of Israel here.