Bahram Qassemi made the remarks on Thursday in reaction to earlier statements by the Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had noted on Wednesday that Israel was prepared to launch attacks inside Iran if its survival was at stake.
“Our red line is our survival,” Netanyahu was quoted by AFP as saying at a meeting with foreign media where he was asked what his “red line” was for attacking Iranian territory, instead of Iran’s allies in Syria and Lebanon.
In reaction to Netanyahu’s ranting, Qassemi said, “Although the corrupt and aggressive Zionist regime, which is symbol of delusions, grudge and hatred, will never dare to take such a step, but uttering such outrageous and shameful words out of ignorance or delusion by the prime minister of an aggressive regime, knowingly or unknowingly, amounts to threatening a big and historical country with military action, which will be certainly followed up on in legal and international forums and institutions.”
The Iranian official noted that although the Zionist regime has been the main disturber of stability and security during past decades, but “expresses false concern about stability in the region in a ridiculous way and with no shame.”
Referring to the defeats sustained by Israel at the hands of resistance groups in the region, Qassemi warned that in case of any warmongering measure by Israel, Iran’s high military and defensive capabilities will make Zionists regret such “sick and melancholic” remarks.
Israel came into existence on occupied Palestinian land in 1948, but its short history has seen numerous wars and attempts to occupy sovereign states. This is while Iran neither attacked any nation nor threatened to do so over the past hundreds of years.
Over the past years, the regime has been intensely lobbying with its American and European allies to dissuade them from engaging in diplomacy with Iran, especially over its nuclear program, and support instead a military action against the Islamic Republic.
Apparently considering itself to be incapable of confronting Iran on its own, the regime has now resorted to the repressive Arab regimes in the Persian Gulf region, with which it has no formal ties. It has intensified its efforts to make secret ties with those Arab regimes, especially Saudi Arabia, public in the hope of getting rid of the Palestinian issue and form a united front against Iran.
Iran has repeatedly said the occupying entity sees its survival tied to wars and instability in the Middle East region.
Even the US –Israel’s staunchest supporter—has hinted that Israel needs others for survival.
Last month, US President Donald Trump said Washington intended to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure interests of the US, Israel and regional partners, suggesting that the entity risks elimination without Riyadh’s support.
In September, Haaretz reported that a document prepared by Major General Yitzhak Brick, the ombudsman of the Israeli military, shows the regime is unprepared to engage in new warfare, contradicting previous claims by Tel Aviv to the contrary.
Netanyahu’s latest threats against Iran came weeks after the regime unleashed a wave of deadly attacks against Gaza, which prompted a firm response from the resistance fighters there, triggering a political crisis inside the premier’s cabinet.
That crisis saw the Israeli minister of military affairs resign and forced Netanyahu to take over the post himself to prevent early elections in Israel.
Analysts say Netanyahu’s stepped-up belligerent rhetoric is meant to divert attention from the corruption scandals he is grappling with.