Omar Bennett
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran has refused to recognize the State of Israel. Iranian officials and state media often use pejorative language to delegitimize Israel, referring to it as the Zionist regime and Occupied Palestine. Iranian leaders have also regularly threatened to annihilate Israel, viewing the country as an enemy allied with the US and Sunni countries in the region. In 2021, Iranian lawmakers proposed legislation that would obligate the government to initiate steps for the destruction of Israel by 2040 or 2041. This bill, which has yet to be passed, would also prohibit any negotiations over Iran's military power or regional ambitions and evict the United States from the Middle East. While Iranian leaders claim that their goal is to eliminate the imposed regime in Israel rather than the mass slaughter of Jews, the proposed bill has added to serious underlying tensions in the region and would create unprecedented international diplomacy issues for Iran if passed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Iranian Constitution | Does not explicitly call for the destruction of Israel |
| Iranian position on Israel | Iran regularly threatens to annihilate Israel and does not recognize the State of Israel |
| Iranian bills | A bill was put before the Iranian Parliament in 2021 and 2022 to "destroy" Israel by 2040/2041 |
| Iranian officials' statements | Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be "nothing left" of Israel by 2040 |
| Iranian media | Iranian media often employs pejorative terminology to delegitimize Israel |
| Iranian military actions | Iran attacked Israel directly with ballistic missiles in 2024 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Iranian lawmakers proposed a bill to destroy Israel by 2040/2041
- Iran regularly threatens to annihilate Israel
- Iran's official position is to not recognise the State of Israel
- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said wiping out Israel means eliminating the imposed regime
- Iranian officials refer to Israel as the Zionist regime and Occupied Palestine
Iranian lawmakers proposed a bill to destroy Israel by 2040/2041
Iranian lawmakers have proposed a bill to destroy Israel by 2040/2041. The bill was introduced in January 2021, before the first anniversary of General Qasem Soleimani's killing in a US air attack in Baghdad in January 2020. The bill would compel future Iranian administrations to take action to "destroy" Israel by 2041 and break the "siege" of the Gaza Strip. It also seeks to restrict the type of bilateral agreements Iran might be able to sign up to in the future and prevent renegotiation with the US.
The proposed bill is not an isolated incident but rather a reflection of long-standing tensions between Iran and Israel. Iran regularly threatens to annihilate Israel, viewing the country as a powerful enemy allied with the United States and Sunni countries in the region. Iranian officials have stated that their goal is to destroy the "Zionist regime" and have made similar statements in the past. For instance, in 2015, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wrote in a social media post that "God willing, there will be nothing of the Zionist regime in 25 years."
The bill has significant implications for international diplomacy and Iran's relations with other countries. If approved, it would create new challenges for the Islamic Republic in its interactions with the international community, particularly with Israel and the United States. The bill also includes unprecedented obligations for the Iranian government, such as compelling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to draft economic cooperation agreements with specific countries, regardless of their reciprocal appetite for trade.
Furthermore, the bill positions Iran as a culprit for any future actions taken in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani. It also seeks to provide Iranian citizenship to asylum seekers who take up arms for the Islamic Republic, which could incentivize individuals from neighboring countries to come to Iran. The bill underscores the determination of Iranian lawmakers to pursue their stated goals and their willingness to take legislative action to achieve them.
Qualities Needed to Be President of the United States
You may want to see also
Iran regularly threatens to annihilate Israel
Iranian leaders claim that when they speak of wiping out Israel, they are referring to the elimination of the "imposed regime" and not the mass slaughter of the country's Jews. For instance, in 2019, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said:
> "The disappearance of Israel does not mean the disappearance of the Jewish people, because we have nothing against [Jews]. Wiping out Israel means that the Palestinian people, including Muslims, Christians and Jews, should be able to determine their fate and get rid of thugs such as [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu."
However, these statements are often accompanied by threats to raze Israeli cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground. In 2018, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a key leader of weekly Muslim prayers in Iran, said: "If you want Haifa and Tel Aviv to be razed to the ground, you can take your chance." In the same year, the deputy commander of operations of the IRGC, Abbas Nilforoushan, threatened that if Israel attacks Iran, it will have to collect "bits and pieces of Tel Aviv from the lower depths of the Mediterranean Sea".
In 2022, a bill was put before the Iranian parliament that would compel future administrations to take action to "destroy" Israel by 2041. This bill was introduced shortly after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that there would be "nothing left" of Israel by 2040. The bill also includes other unprecedented obligations for the government, such as urgently drafting economic cooperation agreements with certain countries and seeking an apology from the US for withdrawing from the JCPOA.
The head of the Iranian army, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, has also predicted that Iranian forces will achieve success in annihilating Israel within 25 years. He said:
> "When the arrogant powers create a sanctuary for the Zionist regime to continue survival, we shouldn’t allow one day to be added to the ominous and illegitimate life of this regime. The Army will move hand in hand with the IRGC so that the arrogant system will collapse and the Zionist regime will be annihilated."
James Madison's Vision: Constitution's Core Principles
You may want to see also
Iran's official position is to not recognise the State of Israel
In 2021, Iranian lawmakers proposed legislation that would have obligated the government to initiate steps for the "destruction" of Israel by 2040. This was introduced on the first anniversary of General Qasem Soleimani's killing in a US air attack in Baghdad in 2020. Iranian officials have called for Israel's destruction before, and the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has referred to Israel as a "cancerous tumour" that "will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed". Khamenei has also stated that the disappearance of Israel does not mean the disappearance of the Jewish people, because we have nothing against [Jews]".
In March 2022, a bill was put before the Iranian parliament that would compel future administrations to take action to "destroy" Israel by 2041. The bill also included other stipulations, such as compelling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to draft economic cooperation agreements with certain countries, regardless of whether a reciprocal appetite for trade exists. It also sought to restrict the types of bilateral agreements Iran might be able to sign in the future.
Tensions between the two countries have been heightened by several incidents, including attacks on important facilities in Iran believed to be sabotage operations by Israel, the killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist in 2020, and an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate annex building in Damascus, Syria, in 2024, which killed 16 people. Iran retaliated against the 2024 attack with missile and drone strikes in Israel, to which Israel responded with further missile strikes on Iranian military sites.
People in the 15 Departments: How Long Are Their Terms?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said wiping out Israel means eliminating the imposed regime
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has stated that the country's goal of "wiping out Israel" refers to eliminating the "imposed regime" rather than the mass slaughter of the country's Jewish population. Khamenei clarified that the disappearance of Israel as a state does not equate to the disappearance of the Jewish people, emphasizing that they have nothing against Jews as a community. Instead, he argued that wiping out Israel means empowering the Palestinian people, including Muslims, Christians, and Jews, to determine their fate and remove leaders such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Khamenei's remarks define Iran's stance on Israel, viewing it as a powerful enemy allied with the United States and Sunni countries in the region, often threatening to annihilate Israeli cities. This sentiment is echoed by Iranian military leaders, such as Major General Hossein Salami of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who stated that destroying Israel was an "achievable goal."
In 2022, a bill was introduced in the Iranian parliament, proposing to destroy Israel by 2041. This bill, if approved, would mandate future Iranian administrations to take action toward Israel's destruction. However, it is important to note that these statements and bills are not part of the Iranian constitution. While Iran's foreign policy is controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, there is no indication that the destruction of Israel is enshrined in the country's foundational documents.
The tension between Iran and Israel is further exacerbated by their differing relationships with the United States. Iran's nuclear program has been a point of contention, with the collapse of the nuclear deal leading to increased tensions. While Iran denies seeking atomic weapons, its nuclear ambitions are often viewed with suspicion, impacting its relations with Israel and the West.
Electoral Timetables: Constitutional Requirements for Elections
You may want to see also
Iranian officials refer to Israel as the Zionist regime and Occupied Palestine
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran's official position has been to not recognize the State of Israel. Iranian officials and state media often refer to Israel as the "Zionist regime" and "Occupied Palestine" to imply that it is an oppressive regime rather than a legitimate sovereign state.
Iranian officials have called for Israel's destruction before, adding to the serious underlying tensions in the region. When confronted with questions, Iran's representatives say their goal is to destroy the "Zionist regime". Iranian lawmakers have proposed legislation that would obligate the government to initiate steps for the "destruction" of Israel by 2040 or 2041.
In August 2012, a senior cleric and Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, speaking about Qods Day, said the spread of the "Islamic Awakening" in the Middle East "heralds annihilation of the Zionist regime". In September 2012, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, said that eventually, a war with Israel would soon break out, during which Iran would eradicate Israel, referring to it as a "cancerous tumour".
In February 2010, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the destruction of Israel was assured. He told Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, "Israel is going downhill toward decline and fall and God willing its obliteration is certain". Khamenei went on to call Israel "a symbol of atrocity, viciousness, and ugliness", and said the West's "support for the Zionist regime is ineffective". Khamenei has also stated that when Iran speaks of wiping Israel off the map, it doesn't mean the mass slaughter of the country's Jews but rather eliminating the Jewish state's "imposed regime".
In addition to Iran, Palestinian Islamist organizations like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have advocated for Israel's destruction. Anti-Israeli protests in the Middle East often involve the burning of Israeli flags and chants like "Death to Israel".
Compatibility of America's Founding Documents: Constitution and Independence
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
No, but there have been several attempts to pass a bill that would compel future Iranian governments to take steps to "destroy" Israel.
The bill would forbid the Iranian government from bilateral or multilateral renegotiation with the US and would punish any officials who break rank with lifelong dismissal from government and public positions. It would also seek to restrict the type of bilateral agreements Iran could make in the future.
The bill gives the Iranian government 20 years to destroy Israel. It was first introduced in 2021 with a deadline of 2040, but a similar bill was introduced in 2022 with a deadline of 2041.
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran's official position has been to not recognize the State of Israel. Iranian officials and state media often employ pejorative terminology such as "Zionist regime" and "Occupied Palestine" to delegitimize Israel.
