Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, May 7, called Israel "not a country, but a terrorist base" during a speech on Al-Quds Day, an annual show of solidarity with the Palestinians, AFP reports.

Thousands massed for rallies across several Muslim-majority countries including Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan for the day, seen in Israel as an expression of hatred and anti-Semitism.

"Israel is not a country, but a terrorist base against the nation of Palestine and other Muslim nations," Khamenei said in live televised remarks.

"Fighting this despotic regime is fighting oppression and terrorism, and (doing so) is everyone's duty," he added.

Khamenei also blasted Israel's normalization of ties with "some weak Arab governments" during the past year as attempts to undermine the Israeli "nightmare of Muslim unity".

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have all normalized ties with Israel in recent months under U.S.-brokered deals.

"I say this decisively: these attempts will get nowhere," Khamenei said, calling on Palestinians to continue their resistance and for Muslim governments to support them.