Netanyahu addresses Congress
Netanyahu addresses CongressReuters

Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian Shura Council or parliament, has accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of lying in his recent address to the United States Congress in Washington DC.

According to Larijani, Netanyahu intends to take over the Middle East - a "fact" he conveniently left out of the address. 

As to Iran, it is not striving to become an empire, Larijani claimed, noting that the Islamic Revolution that came out of Tehran is opposed to such a move. This despite the comments of General Qassem Soleimani, a commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, who in February hailed Tehran's widening influence from "Bahrain to Iraq, and Syria to Yemen and North Africa."

Larijani said Iran is opposed to Israel's "occupation" and that is what has caused an Islamic awakening in the region. 

According to the speaker, Netanyahu's speech reflects Israel's "helplessness and anxiety" in light of its weakening state over the past three decades. Israel's real concern, he argues, is Iran's power in the region. 

Larijani attacked the "hypocrisy" of Israel's demands to prevent Iran from further nuclear development, since he says Israel holds more than 200 atomic bombs.

He added that Netanyahu's accusations that Iran supports terrorism are ridiculous, claiming that Israel has assassinated hundreds of people in recent decades including co-founder of the Islamic Jihad movement Fathi Shaqaqi, Hezbollah terrorist commander Imad Mughniyeh, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) terror mastermind Yasser Arafat who tests showed died of natural causes, as well as Iranian nuclear scientists. 

In this context, Larijani argues Netanyahu is like a "wanton woman" who enters the city with a torn dress, and upon being asked why she does so, responds that there are no respectable men in the city. 

Even if world powers come to an agreement with Iran, Israel will be ready to attack the Islamic Republic alone, Laijani stressed, before defending Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's position that "Israel is a metastasized tumor in the region."

According to Larijani, Netanyahu was hypocritical for saying Israel would attack alone if need be, while bringing panic to Congress and warning of Iran's capabilities. For its part Iran has threatened Israel with annihilation on numerous occasions.

Regarding negotiations with world powers, Larijani said that there may be differences of opinion between government leaders and the negotiators about the tactics of the negotiations, but everyone is loyal to the line dictated by the leadership.