Iran's president says stay focused on Palestine

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has sent a message to a summit of Muslim countries saying they need to remain focused on the Palestinian issue.

In a letter published on the presidential website Friday, Rouhani said Muslim leaders should not let the occupation of Palestine be "marginalized" in the face of the Trump administration's forthcoming peace plan. Glimpses of the still undisclosed plan suggest it sidelines or ignores the longstanding goal of Palestinian independence.

Rouhani, while complaining about not being invited to the summit, expressed his country's readiness to accompany and collaborate with all Muslim leaders to confront the so-called "Deal of the Century."

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, without naming any country, also condemned some Arab leaders for siding with Israel. The Deal of the Century is likely to include large-scale investment and infrastructure work in the Palestinian territories, much of it funded by wealthy Arab countries. Zarif's remarks were carried by a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran's state TV.