While mentioning Tehran’s previous aids to Palestine, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei declared: “We will continue to help them, and we have no reservations in doing so.”

In a meeting with Islamic Republic officials and participants in the Islamic Unity conference on Friday, November 15, Khamenei once again talked about the issue of the “annihilation of Israel” and said: “It does not mean the annihilation of the Jewish people. We have no business with them. It means the annihilation of that state and that regime.”

However, in 2010, Ali Khamenei had criticized comments made by an Iranian official regarding friendship with the people of Israel. He said at the time: “Saying we are friends with the people of Israel like all the other people in the world is not right. It’s illogical. Who do you think the people of Israel are? The same people who have occupied houses, lands, farms, and businesses.”

But of Friday, the leader of the Islamic Republic compared the issue of Palestine to the Balkan independence and said annihilation of Israel would mean “erasing thugs like Netanyahu”.