TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Monday that Iran will continue supports for the cause of Palestine despite the pressures by some powers.

"The pressures will never make us abandon our divine, sacred and rational responsibility" vis-a-vis Palestine, Khamenei was quoted as saying by Press TV.

He made the remarks in a meeting with a visiting delegation of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Tehran on Monday.

Khamenei praised what he called the Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation, saying that "as long as there is resistance, the Zionist regime's downfall and demise will continue."

The final victory for Palestine is "imminent," he said, adding that "the main victory is that Palestinian people and resistance groups were able to bring the Zionist regime to its knees, a feat that Arabic armies could never accomplish."

Last week, Iranian foreign minister also said that supporting the cause of Palestine was one of the principled policies of the Islamic republic.

"Unfortunately, counter measures to the (Palestinian) resistance movement take place from within the Muslim world today," Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a meeting with a visiting delegation of the Islamic Hamas movement.

Zarif urged the Muslim countries to set aside differences and unite when it comes to the issue of Palestine.

"Zionists are no real friend or partner for anybody," he said alluding to some regional states's efforts to establish close ties with Israel.