TEHRAN, Iran: Iran on Thursday condemned the United States government and Congress for their reception of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid the ongoing deadly conflict in Gaza, which has entered its tenth month.
“Palestinian children are slaughtered every day by the Tel Aviv butcher, and in the face of all these crimes, the US government and Congress are welcoming this executioner with applause,” stated Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani on the social media platform X.
Kanani criticized Netanyahu, referring to him as the “criminal prime minister of a fake regime,” who is celebrated by his supporters despite nine months of “genocide and infanticide.” This response came after Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress on Wednesday, in which he called for an alliance against what he described as an Iranian “axis of terror,” accusing Tehran of being behind most sectarian killings in the Middle East.
“America and Israel today can forge a security alliance in Middle East to counter the growing Iranian threat,” Netanyahu asserted to US lawmakers.
The Gaza conflict was ignited on October 7, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,197 people, primarily civilians, according to Israeli figures. Out of 251 individuals taken hostage that day, 111 remain held in Gaza, including 39 who the Israeli military believes are deceased.
The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza reports that over 39,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military campaign since the conflict began. While Iran praised the October 7 attack, it denied any direct involvement in the events.
