Iranian Officials Call Pence's Remarks on Islamic Republic's 'Anti-Semitism' 'Propaganda and Empty'

Iran's Foreign Minister and the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry have dismissed U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's statements regarding the Islamic Republic's 'anti-Semitism' and the government's intent to establish a 'new Holocaust' as 'ridiculous' and 'empty propaganda,' while also attacking Israel once again. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, called these remarks 'ridiculous' in an interview with the German magazine Spiegel. He added, 'Iran has always supported Jews. We are only against Zionists. The Holocaust was a tragedy, and no one, not even the Vice President of the United States, has the right to exploit the Holocaust for propaganda.' Mike Pence accused Iran of 'anti-Semitism' at the Munich Security Conference, stating that 'the Islamic Republic seeks to establish a new Holocaust through its enmity with Israel.' In response, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with ISNA that 'such empty and propagandistic statements are made out of hatred and anger.' He added, 'The long history and civilization of Iran speak to the Iranian people's views on other cultures and religions, promoting peaceful coexistence and tolerance in such matters.' Qasemi's comments come in light of the fact that several prominent Jews were executed in Iran after the 1979 revolution. Before the revolution, between 80,000 to 100,000 Jews lived in Iran, but according to Jewish leaders, only 18,000 to 20,000 remain today. Furthermore, Iran's leader and other officials have repeatedly stated that the 'elimination of Israel' is one of the goals and 'ideals' of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Mike Pence referred to comments made by Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC, stating that 'these remarks are simple signs that I must resist and stand against Iran.' Salami had announced on December 29 that the Islamic Republic's 'strategy' is the 'elimination of Israel from the political geography of the world.' However, Mohammad Javad Zarif recently denied threats to 'eliminate' Israel by Iranian officials, stating, 'When did we say we would destroy Israel? Just find one person and show us that has said this. No one has said such a thing.' On the other hand, Bahram Qasemi also called Israel 'fake and illegal,' stating that 'our criteria in foreign policy is the aggressive and occupying nature of this state and the 'massacre of the Palestinian people.' He emphasized that Israel 'has become a factor of discord and division among regional countries and is the root of the exhausting and costly crises and tensions in the Middle East.' In recent months, warnings about military conflict between Iran and Israel have been raised. During this time, Israel has targeted Iranian positions in Syria several times, and Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, has warned that continued attacks could lead to a major war in the region.