Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran, Iran, June 18, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

In a rare open stance against Iran, a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) leader posted the following statement, ridiculing “foolish” Palestinians who support Iran:

“You must be in favor of Iran, otherwise you are in favor of the Zionists.” The logic of foolish people from the era of the Muslim Brotherhood that has passed from the world.”

[Former PLO official Adnan Al-Damiri, Facebook page, June 17, 2025]

The mention of the Muslim Brotherhood by the former official spokesman of the PA Security Forces, Adnan Al-Damiri, is a reference to Hamas, which is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood founded in Egypt, as well as a terror proxy of Iran.

Al-Damiri’s statement is mocking both Hamas’ continued support for its patron, and Iran itself.

The Palestinian Authority and its officials have been silent regarding Israel’s war on Iran’s nuclear program since June 13. However, in an apparent declaration of taking sides against Iran and calling for regime change, the official PA daily reprinted on its front page the following call by the son of Iran’s late shah, Reza Pahlavi (who lives in the US), to Iran’s security forces to “abandon” the Iranian regime and “join the people.”

This report was published first by AFP:

Headline: “The son of Iran’s shah calls on the security forces to break away from the state”

“Washington (AFP) – The son of Iran’s late shah appealed Friday to the country’s security forces to abandon the cleric-run state, voicing hope for toppling the Islamic republic after Israel launched military strikes.

…

‘I have told the military, police, and security forces: break from the regime. Honor the oath of any honorable serviceman. Join the people.’

‘To the international community: do not throw yet another lifeline to this dying, terrorist regime,’ he said.

Pahlavi was crown prince in Iran’s pro-Western monarchy, which collapsed in 1979 in a mass revolution that quickly brought to power the clerical establishment that declared an Islamic republic.

Pahlavi, who lives in exile near Washington, says he is not necessarily looking for the restoration of the monarchy and wants to use his name to support the movement for secular democracy.

Reza Pahlavi has also enjoyed warm relations with Israel, which he toured two years ago.” [emphasis added]

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 15, 2025]

While the PA has not published any explicit position on Israel’s war against Iran’s nuclear program, the front-page article in the official PA daily containing an open call to side with the Iranian people and stop supporting the regime is a clear indication that while the PA will never publicly support Israel’s bombing to crush the Iranian regime, they will be ecstatic to see the backer of their political nemesis, Hamas, removed.

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) has exposed the PA’s indirect criticism of Iran via its accusations against Hamas for “bringing hell on the Palestinian people” just to serve its Iranian “masters,” when it launched its terror war against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The PA has also mocked Iran for its ineffective missiles. When Iran launched hundreds of missiles against Israel in October 2024, the PA bragged that Palestinians kill Israelis more effectively than Iranian missiles do.

On the other hand, PMW reported last week that PA leader Abbas’ Fatah Party cheered the missiles falling on Israel, indicating that the PA’s signs of antagonism against Iran should not be interpreted as indicating any softening of its hatred of Israel.

The author is the founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.