Iranian president-elect Hasan Rouhani
Iranian president-elect Hasan RouhaniReuters

Iran is once again stirring the Middle Eastern pot, calling any land swap deal within the context of an Israel-PA peace plan a “disrespect” for an Arab “right of return” and a “symbol of expulsion.”

More to the point, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbass Araghci told the semi-official IRNA news agency on Monday that restoring a “fair and durable peace” in the Middle East would not be possible “as long as basic issues such as end of occupation of all occupied lands... return of all refugees to their ancestral land and formation of a Palestinian government with Qods as its capital are not resolved,” he said.

In short, annihilation of the Jewish State of Israel.

Speaking to reporters, Araghci slammed the vigorous diplomatic efforts of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to get final status talks back on track between Israel and the PA. 

Iran  – along with various Arab groups – announced its opposition to Kerry’s proposal and “is confident that the Zionist regime has by no means accepted the principle of withdrawal from the occupied lands.” 

He added that any approach to the Middle East developments should be based on ... “restoring the rights of the Palestinian and other regional nations.” 

“Regarding our experience, the Zionist regime is not well prepared to pay any expenses for peace because the regime thrives on conflicts,” he said.

A plan for land swaps, he claimed, “not only means disrespect for the [PA Arab refugees’ ] right to return but serves as a symbol of expulsion of those Palestinian [Authority Arabs] residing in [Judea and Samaria] since its occupation. 

Recently-elected Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, represented by Araghci, is seen by the international community as a moderate. 

Israel is surrounded on its southern, northwestern and northeastern borders by Iranian proxies: Gaza's ruling Hamas terrorist organization, Lebanon's Hizbullah terrorist organization and, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad are all generously funded, trained and equipped by Iran.