Iran doesn’t seem to be too happy about the Middle East peace talks that have resumed in Washington, D.C.
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the talks, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry has described them as futile.
Today, the head of Iran’s Basij force, General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, was quoted as saying that those who hold talks with Israel are "very stupid."
"Those who hold talks with the Zionist regime are very stupid, as when this fake regime was at the height of its power and succeeded to advance to Lebanon's capital, these very people stood up to it...And now that Israel is experiencing maximum weakness, misery and siege, taking steps for holding talks is indicative of maximum imbecility and stupidity," Iran’s semi-official Labor news agency (ILNA) quoted Naqdi as saying today.
Naqdi continued: "Today is the day when they should be hard on the occupying Israel and put an end to this row."
The Basij commander said the talks will fail and added that in 10 to 15 years there will be no country called Israel.
"The world should know that the age of the Zionist regime has come to an end -- as we once had a country called the Soviet Union or the apartheid regime in South Africa and today we no longer see such names on maps," he said.
On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad said that the peace negotiations will fail to resolve the Middle East conflict.
In an interview with Iran’s Arabic Al Alam television, Ahmadinejad dismissed Washington's role as mediator in the talks due to its support for "the Zionist regime" and called for Hamas to be involved in any peace talks, as it is "the most official representative of Palestinians because it has the people's votes."
Further condemnations of the talks by Iranian officials are likely to come on Friday, which is Quds (Jerusalem) Day, during which state-organized rallies are held evey year in support of the Palestinian cause.
"Death to Israel" is among the state slogans used and promoted at Quds Day rallies and at other state-run demonstrations in the Islamic republic.
-- Golnaz Esfandiari
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the talks, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry has described them as futile.
Today, the head of Iran’s Basij force, General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, was quoted as saying that those who hold talks with Israel are "very stupid."
"Those who hold talks with the Zionist regime are very stupid, as when this fake regime was at the height of its power and succeeded to advance to Lebanon's capital, these very people stood up to it...And now that Israel is experiencing maximum weakness, misery and siege, taking steps for holding talks is indicative of maximum imbecility and stupidity," Iran’s semi-official Labor news agency (ILNA) quoted Naqdi as saying today.
Naqdi continued: "Today is the day when they should be hard on the occupying Israel and put an end to this row."
The Basij commander said the talks will fail and added that in 10 to 15 years there will be no country called Israel.
"The world should know that the age of the Zionist regime has come to an end -- as we once had a country called the Soviet Union or the apartheid regime in South Africa and today we no longer see such names on maps," he said.
On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad said that the peace negotiations will fail to resolve the Middle East conflict.
In an interview with Iran’s Arabic Al Alam television, Ahmadinejad dismissed Washington's role as mediator in the talks due to its support for "the Zionist regime" and called for Hamas to be involved in any peace talks, as it is "the most official representative of Palestinians because it has the people's votes."
Further condemnations of the talks by Iranian officials are likely to come on Friday, which is Quds (Jerusalem) Day, during which state-organized rallies are held evey year in support of the Palestinian cause.
"Death to Israel" is among the state slogans used and promoted at Quds Day rallies and at other state-run demonstrations in the Islamic republic.
-- Golnaz Esfandiari
