At a state ceremony commemorating “Jerusalem Day,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that while a sharp sword was laid upon Jerusalem’s neck during the 1967 Middle East war, the great force that erupted from Jewish State brought about a decisive victory that ultimately destroyed the enemies’ arrogant-aspiration to annihilate the state of Israel.
And while most regional powers have come to term with Israel’s existence, one country continues to seek the country’s annihilation, namely: the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the Israeli leader: “While we do not make light of Iran’s threats, neither are we deterred by them because anyone who tries to hurt us will be hurt far worse. We have proven this many times in the history of our state. We proved it just last night. We proved it in the six remarkable days that brought us back to parts of our ancient homeland.”
Netanyahu also took the opportunity to accuse Iran of financing regional terror, including a substantive annual amount that is transferred from Tehran to its Lebanese-proxy Hezbollah. Netanyahu said: “Iran transfers $700 million to Hezbollah per annum. But it does so by various methods, including fraud. In this framework, the Iranian Foreign Ministry transfers over $100 million to terrorist organizations. The money is transferred under diplomatic cover, by seemingly innocent means, to Lebanon and from there to Hezbollah. These enormous amounts fuel the relentless aggression by Iran and its proxies in our region. Our neighbors know it; all of the Arab states know it. This is one of the things that is bringing them to a renewed closeness with us.”
The comments by the Israeli Prime Minister came just three days after Saudi Arabia accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of endangering global security by means of regional interference and terror. “My brothers, your highnesses, what the Iranian regime is carrying out in terms of interference in the internal affairs of the region and development of nuclear and ballistic missiles are a threat to global security and poses a risk to the supply lines of global oil and is an outrageous defiance of UN peace treaties,” Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said.
The Saudi King further noted that while his Kingdom “is keen on achieving peace and security and prosperity for all peoples,” the dangers that emanate from Iran poses risks that must be dealt with by the International community. He said: “We call on the international community to carry out its responsibilities towards the threats that the Iranian actions pose against security and peace and to use all means to stop the regime from interfering in the internal affairs of neighboring countries.”
Meanwhile in Beirut, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah declared that if the United States attacks the Islamic Republic of Iran, the entire region will go-up in flames. In a filmed address to his organization’s followers, Nasrallah underscored that if a war is forced upon Iran and its regional partners, ‘the United States and its interests will be targeted’ including “Israel and Saudi Arabia.” According to Nasrallah: “Mr. Trump and his administration and his intelligence agencies know very well that war against Iran will not stop at Iran’s borders. War against Iran means the whole region will burn.” / “The entire region will be ablaze. All the U.S. forces and interests in the region will be annihilated and all those who colluded will pay the price, first of them, Israel and the house of Saud.”
While militant rhetoric by Iranian leaders and allies continues to escalate with regard to a possible regional conflagration; U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Washington is willing to negotiate with Iran, with no pre-conditions. That said, the American top diplomat, along-side his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis, underscored that regardless of Washington’s willingness to talk, the Trump Administration‘s efforts to fundamentally reverse Iran’s malign activity will continue. Pompeo said: “We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no pre-conditions. We are, we are ready to sit down with them, but the American effort to fundamentally to reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue.”
The comments by Secretary Pompeo came after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had previously signaled that talks might be possible if sanctions were lifted. Shortly after Rouhani made the comment, however, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei underscored that Tehran would not negotiate with Washington.