Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, received for a meeting the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Tehran on Monday.

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to Pakistan's special stature in the Islamic world, emphasizing the need for joint effective actions on the part of Iran and Pakistan to stop the crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza.

"While the warmongers in the world have many motives to create discord and war, the only thing that can ensure the security of the Islamic Ummah is unity among Islamic countries and promoting relations among these countries," Ayatollah Khamenei stressed.

He described the Palestinian issue as the number one issue in the Islamic world, noting that the deplorable situation in Gaza has moved the ordinary people in Europe and America to protest against their governments, while it is regrettable that some Islamic governments are still standing by the Zionist regime.

"Unity among Islamic countries is the only factor that can guarantee the security of the Islamic Ummah," he underscored.

He expressed happiness with the end of the recent conflict between Pakistan and India, voicing hope for a resolution of the contentious issues between the two countries.

The Leader also praised the Pakistani government for rejecting temptations that sought normalization of Pakistan's ties with the Zionist regime over the recent years. 

Ayatollah Khamenei went on to say that relations between Iran and Pakistan have always been warm and brotherly, hailing Pakistan's good stances during the Imposed War against Iran by the foreign-backed Saddam regime in Iraq as an example of those brotherly relations.

The Leader criticized the lower-than-expected relations between Iran and Pakistan, calling for enhancing bilateral ties in different areas.