Iran rejects claims of ‘more nuanced approach’ to Israel

Spokesperson dismisses British foreign secretary’s assertion it may moderate its views, denies discussions on Jewish state even took place

ed note–whichever side is telling the truth in this matter is irrelevant. What matters is that the subject is up for discussion at all, which is the point we have made here from the beginning of all this ‘negotiations’ business.

All the Muslims states in the region, save Syria, Iran, and those portions under the control of Hezb’allah, are under the thumb of Israel and America. They make noises once in a while that seem to offer some concern for the Palestinian situation, but at the end of the day, these noises amount to nothing, and all anyone need do is look at the non-response that occurs whenever Israel gets ‘the urge’ and goes on one of her chronic, all-too-predictable bloodbaths of Gentiles in Gaza.

Iran on the other hand is another matter. She helps those who are resisting, and not with just empty words, but with money, arms, training, logistics, etc. This is one of the main reasons the West and certain smarter elements within La Kosher Nostra have switched tactics with Iran and are now using the carrot instead of the stick.

All can be rest assured that with the lifting of sanctions there comes a hefty price, one of those being to cease and desist from those activities that result in effective resistance to Israel and her bloodthirsty nature.

Times of Israel

Iran denied British claims that it had indicated a “more nuanced approach” to Israel, saying Tuesday that such discussions had not taken place and that its attitude toward the Jewish state remained unchanged.

British and Iranian officials had discussed joint cooperation between the two countries as well as regional and international policy, spokesperson Marziyeh Afkham said, according to the Iranian Tasnim News Agency.

But she added that British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond had not discussed Tehran’s position on Israel with President Hassan Rouhani.

“During the meeting, our country’s authorities elaborated on our country’s principled and firm stances on the international developments which calls for all-out confrontation against terrorism, occupation and extremism,” Afkham said.

She made clear that there had been no change in Iran’s stance on the Zionist Regime, the agency report said.

On Monday, Hammond said Iranian President Rouhani had indicated a “more nuanced approach” to Israel, and that aggressive statements by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should not necessarily be seen as representative of the country’s foreign policy.

“We’ve got to, as we do with quite a number of countries, distinguish the internal political consumption rhetoric from the reality of the way they conduct their foreign policy,” the Guardian quoted British foreign secretary Philip Hammond as saying Monday.

Hammond was in Tehran for the reopening of the UK embassy, four years after a mob stormed the compound, forcing its closure.

In an earlier response to Hammond’s comments, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday that Israel “should be annihilated,” and that the thawing relations with the West would not translate into a shift in Tehran’s position concerning the Jewish state. Hussein Sheikholeslam, a foreign affairs adviser to parliament speaker Ali Larijani, told Iranian media that contrary to remarks by Hammond, “Our positions against the usurper Zionist regime have not changed at all; Israel should be annihilated and this is our ultimate slogan.”

On Sunday, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Zarif acknowledged gaps in Iran and Britain’s policy views, but said that dialogue was the best way to resolve those differences, adding that Iran was open to discussing these issues, Tasnim reported.

The comments echoed a similar incident in July after German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel warned at the start of a three-day visit to Tehran in July that Berlin could not accept Iran’s questioning of Israel’s right to exist, and that such attitudes could harm business relations between the two countries.

“The main goal of the German vice chancellor’s visit to Iran is a discussion of the prospects of mutual cooperation,” Afkham said in response at the time. “We quite naturally have our own concerns and views on existing threats, including the Zionist regime’s threats and the roots of the crises in the region.”

She added that “this is not something new.”

Hammond’s visit came as European countries have moved to quickly re-establish diplomatic and financial ties with Iran in the wake of the nuclear agreement reached in July.

However, Zarif dismissed talks Tuesday of establishing an EU office in its capital, saying the issue had not been discussed during a recent visit by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Zarif also said that Iran was interested in improving its relations with surrounding countries, including Saudi Arabia, but that “it is up to them [the Arab countries] to welcome the move.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia, the foremost Shiite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, have had troubled relations in recent years, including waging apparent proxy wars in Syrian and Yemen.

Prior to the nuclear agreement, Saudi Arabia expressed fears that if too much of Iran’s nuclear program is left intact, it will still have the ability to obtain an atomic bomb.

Last month Mogherini met with the Saudi foreign minister to ease the country’s concerns over the nuclear agreement with its regional rival.