Tehran — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of reviving the long-discredited “Greater Israel” doctrine, describing it as a fascist project that, according to Tehran, violates international law, fuels the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza, destabilizes the Middle East, and exposes what Iran sees as the Zionist regime’s entrenched policy of territorial expansion at the expense of Palestinian sovereignty since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
The comments came after Netanyahu declared his “historic and spiritual mission” was to see Israel’s reach extend “from the Nile to the Euphrates,” a slogan long associated with extremist expansionist ideology. For many in the Arab and Islamic world, these words are more than symbolic; they are seen as a direct blueprint for annexation and domination over lands belonging to sovereign nations.
Iran labels rhetoric a violation of the UN charter
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei minced no words, calling the statement a blatant violation of the UN Charter and a calculated provocation to the Arab world. “These words are not the product of a slip of the tongue,” Baghaei said, “but a reflection of a political doctrine rooted in occupation, dispossession, and contempt for international law.”
He accused Netanyahu of weaponizing biblical language to cloak geopolitical aggression, suggesting that the rhetoric was intended to distract from Israel’s military setbacks since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The Ongoing Genocide in Gaza, where over 146,000 Palestinians have been killed, including tens of thousands of women and children, has already left the Israeli military and political establishment facing a legitimacy crisis at home and abroad.
Araghchi calls out Western hypocrisy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi joined the chorus of condemnation, delivering one of the most pointed rebukes yet. In a social media post, Araghchi asked whether the West would brand Netanyahu antisemitic for openly voicing the very expansionist doctrine critics have long warned about.
“The hypocrisy is as clear as day,” Araghchi wrote. “When others expose Zionist ambitions, they are accused of hate. When Netanyahu himself boasts about them, the so-called defenders of human rights in the West look away.”
Araghchi said this double standard reveals the deep complicity of Western governments, particularly the US, in shielding Israel from accountability, even as its leaders openly articulate territorial goals that threaten the sovereignty of multiple states in the region.
Arab League issues rare united condemnation
The Arab League’s General Secretariat issued an unusually swift and unanimous condemnation, describing Netanyahu’s remarks as “a severe threat to Arab national security” and a “brazen breach of international legitimacy.” The League’s statement urged the UN Security Council to take immediate action, warning that such rhetoric could inflame an already volatile region.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry also weighed in, with spokesman Sufian Qudah calling the comments a “provocative escalation” that undermines the possibility of any peace process and increases the likelihood of renewed conflict. Qudah stressed that the international community must halt such dangerous rhetoric before it sparks further violence.
Historical roots of the ‘greater Israel’ idea
The term “Greater Israel” is not new. Historically, it has referred to Israel claiming all of the territory of former British Mandatory Palestine, which would include modern-day Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. But more radical interpretations extend the claim to the Golan Heights, parts of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and even into Iraq.
In contemporary politics, mainstream Israeli governments have avoided overt references to this idea, but Netanyahu’s recent remarks revive its specter. For many in the region, this is not merely an ideological statement; it is seen as a justification for land seizures, settlement expansion, and the erasure of Palestinian identity.
Iran warns of wider destabilization
For Tehran, Netanyahu’s words are more than political theatre. Iranian officials view them as a calculated reminder that the Zionist regime’s long-term strategic goals remain tethered to expansionism, demographic engineering, and military dominance.
Baghaei warned that pursuing this vision could trigger an even broader conflict, drawing in states from across the Arab and Islamic world. He called on regional governments, including those that have normalized ties with Israel under US pressure, to reconsider their positions in light of Netanyahu’s public declaration.
Israel’s failures in Gaza and the shifting narrative
Analysts in Tehran argue that Netanyahu’s revival of “Greater Israel” rhetoric is a sign of weakness, not strength. After months of relentless bombardment in Gaza, Israel has failed to destroy Hamas, faced mounting global condemnation over the Gaza Genocide, and seen its carefully crafted image as a military superpower tarnished.
The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel exposed glaring security vulnerabilities, and the war that followed has exacted unprecedented political and economic costs on Tel Aviv. As these realities set in, critics say Netanyahu is using grandiose territorial visions to shore up support among ultranationalists while diverting attention from his failures.
UN and OIC urged to act
Iran’s position is that the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) cannot afford to stay silent. Baghaei called for a formal UN censure of Netanyahu’s statement and demanded coordinated action to block any policy that advances the “Greater Israel” vision.
“The credibility of international law is at stake,” he said. “If such declarations are ignored, it sends a message to aggressors everywhere that conquest and occupation are acceptable tools of statecraft.”
Battle over the future of the region
Netanyahu’s remarks have rekindled old fears, united Arab governments in rare agreement, and allowed Iran to position itself as the uncompromising defender of Palestinian sovereignty and regional stability.
According to Mehr News, Iranian officials believe that this public articulation of Israel’s expansionist aims could mark a turning point in global opinion, one that forces the world to confront the Zionist regime’s true intentions. Whether the UN and its member states act on these warnings remains to be seen, but Tehran’s message is clear: silence will only embolden those who dream of redrawing the map of the Middle East through force.
