Key Facts

1.Iran's calls for Israel's destruction are officially documented policy, not misinterpretation—Supreme Leaders have repeatedly used terms like "cancerous tumor" and called for elimination.
2.These threats constitute incitement to genocide under international law, violating fundamental principles of state conduct and human rights.
3.Iran funds and arms proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah specifically to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians, as documented by intelligence agencies.
4.Holocaust denial by Iranian leadership serves to delegitimize Israel's existence and normalize antisemitic conspiracy theories worldwide.
5.Iran's nuclear program is viewed by experts as potentially aimed at acquiring capabilities to threaten Israel's existence.
6.These policies destabilize the entire Middle East, threatening millions of civilians across the region regardless of nationality or religion.
7.Iran's rhetoric often conflates Judaism with Zionism, promoting antisemitic stereotypes that endanger Jewish communities globally.
8.Many Iranian dissidents oppose these policies, showing this extremism doesn't represent the Iranian people's will.

Note: This article largely summarizes the Wikipedia article on Iran's calls for Israel's destruction, which may be subject to deletion in the future. We preserve this information here as documentation of Iran's documented policy positions regarding Israel.

Iran's Policy of Calling for Israel's Destruction

Quds Day celebrated in Tehran in 2016

Executive Summary

The Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy doctrine includes systematically calling for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state. This position emerged from the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which transformed Iran-Israel relations from strategic partnership during the Pahlavi monarchy to principal ideological adversaries. This policy has remained consistent across both hardline and moderate Iranian leaderships over four decades.

Historical Context and Origins

Prior to 1979, Iran and Israel maintained close strategic cooperation under the Pahlavi monarchy. The Islamic Revolution completely reversed this relationship. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, immediately denounced Israel as an illegitimate "Zionist regime" and severed all diplomatic relations.

Since then, this anti-Israel stance has been embedded in official rhetoric, military programs, state-sponsored education, and symbolic events such as Quds Day. Importantly, the rejection of Israel's legitimacy has remained consistent across both hardline and moderate Iranian leaderships, indicating this is institutional policy rather than the position of particular factions.

Leadership Statements and Official Policy

Supreme Leaders

Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini repeatedly referred to Israel as a "cancerous tumor" and a "cancerous gland," stating it was "an obligation" to provide financial support to Palestinian militant groups "in order to abolish the infidel Zionists." He urged Muslims worldwide to mobilize for Israel's destruction.

Current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has continued this rhetoric. In 2015, he predicted "no Zionist regime in 25 years," and in 2024 told Hamas leadership that "the divine promise to eliminate the Zionist entity will be fulfilled." Just days before the October 7, 2023 attacks, Khamenei declared that Israel "will die of [its] rage" and concluded: "This cancer will definitely be eradicated."

Presidential Statements

Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad infamously called for Israel to be "erased from the face of the earth" and declared the Holocaust a myth. Even supposed moderate President Hassan Rouhani called Israel a "cancerous tumor" and a "fake regime," while President Ebrahim Raisi expressed hope to "witness the final moments of Israel's existence."

Military and Religious Leadership

Military commanders and clerics have consistently echoed these positions. IRGC commanders have stated that Israel's destruction is "nonnegotiable" and "an achievable goal." Even clerics associated with Iran's reform movement have supported hostile positions toward Israel, showing the breadth of this consensus within Iran's establishment.

Military Implementation: The Axis of Resistance

Iran implements its anti-Israel policy through what it calls the "Axis of Resistance"—a network of proxy groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. These organizations receive sustained Iranian support through funding, weapons, and training.

According to security analysts, this proxy network enables Iran to present Israel with long-term existential challenges while maintaining plausible deniability. The October 7, 2023 attacks that killed approximately 1,200 people were planned with Iranian support, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal citing senior Hamas and Hezbollah sources.

Iran has also inscribed Hebrew phrases calling for Israel's destruction on domestically produced missiles, some of which have reportedly been transferred to Russia for use in Ukraine, demonstrating how this rhetoric extends beyond the Middle East.

Propaganda and Ideological Messaging

Quds Day

Established by Khomeini, Quds Day is celebrated annually on the last Friday of Ramadan to promote what Iran describes as Muslim solidarity against Israel. The event features anti-Israel rhetoric and symbolism, including countdown clocks supposedly marking Israel's destruction.

Holocaust Denial and Conspiracy Theories

Until recently, Iran was the only state whose leadership openly engaged in Holocaust denial as part of official ideology. This rhetoric serves to undermine the historical justification for Israel's existence by denying or minimizing the Holocaust.

Iranian institutions have organized conferences with provocative titles linking Judaism and Zionism to various global problems, promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories that extend far beyond legitimate criticism of specific policies.

International Response and Analysis

Scholars of Middle Eastern politics have described Iran's posture toward Israel as potentially genocidal in nature. The systematic nature of these threats, combined with concrete military support for attacks on civilians, represents what experts call "the single most destabilizing conflict in the Middle East."

The United States and other nations have expressed concern that Iran's nuclear program may be motivated partly by desires to threaten Israel's existence, though Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

Opposition Within Iran

It's important to note that many Iranian citizens and some officials oppose these policies. Professor Sadegh Zibakalam of the University of Tehran has spoken against the regime's aggressive positions and notes that younger Iranians are losing interest in the Palestinian issue.

However, those who publicly challenge these doctrines face imprisonment and persecution, indicating the authoritarian nature of how these policies are maintained.

Why This Matters

These documented positions matter because:

They constitute incitement to genocide under international law
They fuel regional instability affecting millions of civilians
They promote antisemitic conspiracy theories globally
They demonstrate the systematic nature of threats against Israel
They show how extremist rhetoric translates into concrete military action

Conclusion

The evidence presented here comes from documented statements by Iranian officials, academic analysis, and journalistic reporting. This is not about legitimate criticism of policies—it's about systematic calls for the destruction of a UN member state and its people.

Understanding these documented positions is crucial for anyone seeking to understand Middle Eastern politics and the sources of regional instability. The Iranian regime's rhetoric and actions represent a clear threat not only to Israel but to regional peace and international law.

Iran's Calls for Israel's Destruction: Policy and Rhetoric