Iran's Threat to Destroy Israel

No Muslim nation has been as overtly hostile to Israel as the Islamic Republic of Iran. With a population of more than 65,000,000, one of the world's highest literacy rates (80%), and 10% of the world's known petroleum reserves, Iran has the potential to become the dominant power in the Middle East. Even apart from Iran's disputed efforts to develop a "civilian" nuclear capacity and its undeniable efforts to develop medium and long-range ballistic missiles, such as the Shahab-3 and 4, its potential ability to carry out its threat cannot be underestimated.

Currently, Iran is sending out mixed signals. Speaking to Israel Radio from the World Economic Conference at Davos on January 26, 2008, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said, "Iran is not threatening Israel and does not want nuclear weapons." He added that it was Israel that possessed nuclear weapons and "it is threatening Teheran." (Jerusalem Post, January 26, 2008).

The same day, Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor of the Iranian daily newspaper Kayhan who is close to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and often reflects the latter's views, called on Muslims worldwide to unite in "retaliatory" attacks on American, European, and Israeli "sensitive centers" because of "the war crimes that these countries are committing in the Gaza Strip" and because of their support for Israel.

In his op-ed, "The Defenders of the Enemy," Shar'iatmadari stressed that American and European civilians must be harmed in these attacks, so as to make the U.S. and the European countries change their policy towards Israel. He also called for harming Israelis worldwide, and explained that Islamic regimes that prevent an Islamic attack on Israel must be toppled, because they are defending the enemy. He further stated that such attacks are legitimate according to Islamic law, both Shi'ite and Sunni.

Whom are we to believe?