Iran: No Place for ‘Zionist Regime’

Iran on Wednesday dismissed British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond’s recent remarks that Tehran has changed its policies on Israel, stressing that the “Zionist regime” had no place in diplomatic talks between Tehran and London.

 

“We have rejected such media hype (before) and during Mr. Hammond’s trip to Iran, we just discussed potentials of bilateral relations, fighting extremism and terrorism, etc.,” said Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham, according to the Fars news agency.

 

“There were no talks on the Zionist regime and the report that Iran has changed its position is denied,” she stressed.

 

Hammond was in Tehran this week where he reopened the British embassy, four years after it was ransacked by an Iranian mob, forcing its closure.

 

After the reopening the embassy, Hammond claimed in an interview with the British media that the current Iranian government had displayed a more nuanced approach than its predecessor to a long-running conflict with Israel, noted Fars.

 

On Tuesday, the Iranian Parliament Speaker’s Adviser for International Affairs Hossein Sheikholeslam blasted Hammond for what Fars described as his “interfering” remarks, and said Tehran’s positions against Israel have not changed at all.

 

“Our positions against the usurper Zionist regime have not changed at all; Israel should be annihilated and this is our ultimate slogan,” Sheikholeslam told reporters in Tehran.

 

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