19 Jan 2021; MEMO: The Iranian parliament announced yesterday that it is preparing a draft resolution on a "defence and security treaty for the Axis of Resistance" which it will sign with its allies, states and non-state actors alike.
Although an informal alliance already exists, the aim of the "NATO-style" treaty is to oblige members to respond collectively to any attack on any members by Israel or other hostile states.
Members of the "Axis of Resistance" are said to include Iran, Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Houthi-led government of Yemen, Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
According to Fars News Agency, the deputy of Iran's parliament, Abu Fadl Abu Trabi, said that work is currently underway to collect the necessary signatures so that the draft resolution can be approved for discussion and voting.
"When Israel attacks one of the Resistance Front countries or if Israel takes any action against this axis," he explained, "the other member states of the group must exert all of their efforts in the military, economic and political aspects to ward off the threat."
Meanwhile, Russia Today Arabic reported that the parliament in Tehran has proposed a bill obliging successive Iranian governments to "take the necessary measures that lead to the elimination of Israel by March 2041". It also prohibits "any negotiations with the United States of America on non-nuclear issues" and has an article which stipulates that Iran must work to remove US forces from the region.
The draft bill is entitled "The conditions for negotiating with Washington and supporting Tehran's allies". It has 16 articles which set out the need to work towards breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, the "return to Jerusalem" and "liberation of the [Syrian] Golan". The draft also obliges Tehran to provide humanitarian aid and provisions once every three months to Yemen.
