Iranian lawmaker submits motion of censure against foreign minister over shift in Tehran's Israel policy

By Nazenin Hansu and Mustafa Melih Ahishali

ISTANBUL (AA) – A member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission asserted a “shift” in Tehran's Israel policy, submitting a motion of censure against the foreign minister in the parliament.

In his motion, Mahmoud Abbaszadeh contended that Tehran's administration has altered its stance towards Israel and Saudi Arabia in foreign policy, the Iranian Jamaran news website said, citing Abbaszadeh's censure motion.

Abbaszadeh criticized the modification of the frequently articulated pre-Gaza conflict position of "Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth" in Iranian politics, and proposed a vote of censure against Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

- Iran's Israel policy

After Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in Iran following the 1979 revolution, he was known for his anti-Israel stance.

The expression "Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth," used by Khomeini in a speech in Tehran on Sept. 8, 1982, has been consistently reiterated as state policy in Iran to this day.

The Iranian government, officially not recognizing Israel, emphasizes its anti-Israel sentiment through the Quds Force established within the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Resistance Forces it supports in the region.

While Tehran declares support for attacks against Israel by allied forces in the region, it simultaneously denies any connection to these attacks.

Some experts interpret this stance as an effort by the Tehran administration to avoid the spillover of the conflict in Gaza into the country.