Fact Sheet

Iranian government officials have openly expressed their desire to confront the West and destroy the State of Israel. The following is a sample of recent remarks by current and former Iranian leaders:

Secretary of Iran's Guardian Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati:

"At the end of the day, we are an anti-American regime. America is our enemy, and we are the enemies of America." [1] (June 1, 2007)

"Just like [our] movement destroyed the monarchical regime here, it will definitely destroy the arrogant rule of hegemony of America, Israel, and their allies." [2] (June 1, 2007)

Former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani:

"We give support to the mujahideen in Palestine. Hamas is zealous with regard to Sunni Islam, but because of their Jihad and resistance, we supply them with aid. Similarly, in Afghanistan, when we gave supported [sic] to the Jihad of the mujahideen." [3] (May 18, 2007)

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami:

"The Zionist regime is an undesirable entity in the Middle East." [4] (Nov. 19, 2000)

"If we abide by real legal laws, we should mobilize the whole Islamic World for a sharp confrontation with the Zionist regime… if we abide by the Koran, all of us should mobilize to kill." [5] (Oct. 24, 2000)

"Hezbollah is an active participant in Lebanese democracy and the Lebanese parliament in the Lebanese government. And we can say that there is almost a complete consensus in Lebanon that such a movement is necessary, such resistance is necessary." [6] (Sept. 6, 2006)

"We have a lot of close intellectual ties with the Hezbollah." [7] (Sept. 6, 2006)

"Our strategy is to reinforce Hezbollah, which is an independent and Islamic movement." [8] (Aug. 1, 2005)

 "…We believe that Hizbullah has an authentic Lebanese identity. We love Hizbullah. I emphasized this in talks with Mr. Chirac, who said he has never called to weaken or disarm Hizbullah, and that on this matter, he is in disagreement with some of his European allies. Hizbullah will remain and will keep its weapons." [9] (July 14, 2005)

"Despite all the pressures, Iran is on the threshold of producing nuclear fuel. You can rest assured that we will not relinquish our right to enrich uranium, and we will do what we say." [10] (March 31, 2005)

"Iran has achieved nuclear technology without the help of others, and it will never give up its right [to use it] under illegitimate pressure from others." [11] (Feb. 9, 2005)

"We haven't and won't give up the right to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel." [12] (Nov. 17, 2004)

"We had, we have, and we will have a nuclear programme to enrich uranium to produce fuel. With the ongoing trend, we have no moral commitment any more to suspend uranium enrichment." [13] (June 19, 2004) 

"The liberation of Jerusalem is our common goal, and we must not allow foreign plots and pressure to divide us." [14] (Nov. 1, 1999)

"What could we do in order to enter the world scene? We need a force which the enemy does not possess, and this is the force which is superior to technology and to arms. What we need as a balancing force is the newly born, fully-alert, and ready to sacrifice Islamic force. If the Islamic Republic is supported by such a force…then its movement would be taken seriously." [15] (Nov. 1, 1999)

Deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Saeedi:

"Under current circumstances, the suspension of uranium enrichment is not possible." [16] (Aug. 22, 2006)

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's advisor, Mohammad Ali Ramin:

"We were convinced that denying the Holocaust and underlining the destruction of Israel we would have diverted international attention away from the Iranian nuclear dossier." [17] (Feb. 8, 2007)

"So long as Israel exists in the region…there will never be peace and security in the Middle East. So the resolution of the Holocaust issue will end in the destruction of Israel." [18] (June 9, 2006)

Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai:

"America seems so big, but in fact is like a paper tiger - even the slightest tremor could easily make it crumple and disappear."  [19] (June 8, 2006)

Government Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham:

"The holocaust is a concept coming from a big lie in order to settle a rootless regime in the heart of the Islamic world.” [20] (Jan. 27, 2009)

"Iran's support for the Palestinian Resistance Movement [Hamas] is legal, spiritual and political in nature." [21] (Feb. 20, 2006)

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani:

"We recommend that you learn a lesson from history. Do not repeat what you have done in the past and regretted. The Iranian people is [sic] zealous and brave. Do not toy with the national pride of the Iranians, because you will face a firm response. Things will change for you. Your interests in the region will be harmed." [22] (Feb. 9, 2006)

Supreme Ayatollah Khamenei's representative in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hojat Ol-Eslam Mojtaba Zolnour:

“In the event of the slightest aggression against Iran, every one of the U.S.'s 32 bases in the region is within range of Iranian missiles.” [23] (Jan. 4, 2009)

Director of Iran Foreign Ministry's U.S. and Europe department, Wahid Karimi:

"The most appropriate means of deterrence that Iran has, in addition to a retaliatory operation in the [Gulf] Region, is to take action against London.” [24] (Oct. 20, 2008)

Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh Attar:

"There are currently close to 4,000 centrifuges active at Natanz enrichment facility. ... Another 3,000 centrifuges are being installed." [25] (Aug. 29, 2008)

Former Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Hassan Rohani:

“The pressures applied on Iran were so great that most of the world's leading industrial nations conditioned trading with us to the signing of the [additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty], as seen in the Azadegan oilfields that the Japanese refused to develop.” [26] (date not given)

Former Khatami Government Spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh:

“We had one overt policy, which was one of negotiation and confidence-building, and a covert policy, which was continuation of the activities.” [27] (June 14, 2008)

Iranian Senior Nuclear Negotiator Hossein Moussavian:

“As the result of negotiations, not only Iran's nuclear capabilities were preserved, and we were spared a military attack, but we were also able to complete our nuclear capabilities because of the atmosphere that was created. For example, the UCF project in Isfahan was completed in this period and can now be used.” [28] (July 17, 2005)