Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in a television interview, said his country is not seeking war but harshly criticized Israel for bringing “instability” to the Middle East and for questioning his government’s intentions toward nuclear arms.
Rouhani called Israel “an occupier, a usurper government that does injustice to the people of the region” and said it “has brought instability to the region with its war-mongering policies.”
But when asked further about Israel, Rouhani also said: “What we wish for in this region is rule by the will of the people. We believe in the ballot box. We do not seek war with any country. We seek peace and friendship among the nations of the region.”
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But some questions, including Rouhani’s stance on the Holocaust, which killed six million Jews and spurred the creation of Israel, have remained unanswered. Ahmadinejad had previously questioned the Holocaust before the United Nations General Assembly.
Asked whether he also believed the Holocaust was a myth, Rouhani said: “What is important to Iran is that countries, people in the region grow closer and prevent aggression and injustice.”