One country votes. The other executes

On the eve of Israel’s general election, Iran said on Monday that the outcome would make no difference to the Islamic Republic. The remarks echo the regime’s long-standing rhetoric toward Israel.

“It does not matter to us who takes the helm of a regime that has brought nothing but violence and massacres to our region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, describing the election as a “competition between different gangs” to commit the worst crimes.

The tone is nothing new.

Since the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic has refused to recognise the State of Israel, which it routinely calls the “Zionist regime” or the “Zionist entity.” The slogan “Death to Israel” is still chanted at major official rallies, and Iranian leaders regularly portray Israel as an illegitimate actor destined to disappear.

The vote comes amid escalating threats between the two countries, as negotiations to end the conflict that erupted on February 28 remain deadlocked. During the campaign, Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the army, the Mossad and the security services to work toward toppling the Iranian regime, which he has long accused of seeking nuclear weapons.

Baghaei dismissed such statements as “empty threats” and a “sign of desperation.” “We are in a state of war. Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right to defend the country,” he warned.