Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Arab countries will not resolve the Middle East crisis and that the Palestinians should “to decide how to deal with the Zionists.”

“Some people believe that forcing neighboring countries to normalize their ties with Israel will solve the problem,” says Khamenei. “They are wrong.”

“Palestine must be returned to them (the Palestinians),” Khamenei said. “They will have to create their own regime, their own system, and then that system will have to decide how to deal with the Zionists.”

Khamenei’s remarks come after US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkensaid on Monday that Washington is almost ready to offer Saudi Arabia a security package if it normalizes relations with Israel.

Saudi Arabia and Israel have been in talks about possibly normalizing their relations, which stalled when the war with Hamas broke out.

Iran does not recognize Israel and has made supporting the Palestinian cause central to its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.