Thousands of paramilitary forces from Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards on Friday held war games simulating the capture of the Al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli control, the Iranian media reported.
The reports said the forces stormed and liberated a replica of the mosque.
They said that 120 brigades of Basij, the paramilitary unit of the Guards, occupied hypothetical enemy positions during Friday’s exercise in the holy city of Qom in central Iran.
The mosque is situated on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the most holy place to Jews as the site of the Biblical temples, and the third-holiest to Muslims.
The Palestinians claim that Israel intends to change the decades-long status quo at the site, where non-Muslims can visit but not pray.
Israel has repeatedly and vehemently denied the accusation, and accused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of incitement for making such comments.