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.<br />The reports said the forces stormed and liberated a replica of the mosque.<br />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.<br />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.<br />The Palestinians claim that Israel intends to change the decades-long status quo at the site, where non-Muslims can visit but not pray.<br />Israel has repeatedly and vehemently denied the accusation, and accused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of incitement for making such comments.
