Iranian commander says to cut oil sales to Israel's backers

By Hashem Kalantari

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian military commander called on Islamic countries to cut oil exports to Israel's supporters in response to the Jewish state's offensive in Gaza, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.

IRNA said commander Bagherzadeh described oil as a commodity that could put pressure on Israel's European and American backers in the "unequal war" faced by Palestinians in the coastal strip.

"Pointing at Westerners' dependence on the Islamic countries' oil and energy resources, he (Bagherzadeh) called for cutting the export of crude oil to the Zionist regime's supporters the world over," IRNA said, referring to Israel.

IRNA gave only the commander's last name but it may have been referring to Mirfeysal Bagherzadeh, a brigadier-general of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards. He is also head of Iran's Foundation for the Preservation of Works and Publications of Sacred Defence Values, IRNA said.

There was no immediate comment from other Iranian officials.

Iran, which often rails against the United States and Israel, is the world's fourth-largest oil producer and a leading member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants battled in Gaza on Sunday after Israeli troops and tanks invaded the coastal enclave in the most serious fighting in the conflict in decades.

Israel's attacks on Gaza have sparked repeated protests in Iran, an Islamic state which does not recognise Israel.