A Journal of Culture, History and Global Statecraft

A Message from an Iranian to the World

By Editorial Board • July 01, 2025

This message was given in November 2024, by Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s vice president of foreign affairs. It is a deeply moving message that needs to be heard again.

Salaam, Shalom, peace to those of any faith, language or ethnicity who cherish freedom and justice.

Greetings to the followers of all religions and all children of Abraham, regardless of their creed, ethnicity or language.

Shalom to my fellow Iranians of Jewish faith and all followers of the prophet Moses across the globe.

I begin in the name of our One, Compassionate and Merciful God, to remind us all of the urgency of preventing the spread of war, bloodshed, plunder and oppression.

I speak to you, Jewish people across the world, as a citizen of an ancient nation with a rich history of tolerance and humanity.

For over 2,000 years, my nation has been a symbol of peaceful coexistence among various religions, cultures, languages, dialects, races and ethnicities. Supporting the oppressed, the displaced and those seeking refuge from genocide has always been a trait of my nation, in its long and proud history—liberating the Jews suffering under the Babylonians over 2600 years ago, receiving Jews displaced by the Nazis and fascists during World War II, opening its arms to millions of Afghans fleeing foreign occupation, and assisting Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians
displaced by aggression and apartheid. We Iranians, throughout history, have sought peace but defended our land, absorbed occupiers in our culture, and never stopped supporting the oppressed.

My fellow human beings, a few years ago, I had the honor of contributing to a unique achieve of multilateral diplomacy, to end the manufactured crisis over Iran's peaceful nuclear program; yet
Netanyahu, who himself had contributed to the manufacturing of this crisis, made it his historic mission to obstruct and kill the nuclear deal, an agreement that would have ensured that the wolf this habitual liar was always crying about would never come to town. That agreement could have been the foundation of a new era of peace, tranquility, regional cooperation, and freedom from threats, conflicts and escalating tension.

However, before too long, Netanyahu and his Zionist and extremist cohorts, succeeded in their satanic effort to rob the region and the world of this historic opportunity, standing on the wrong side of history.

Standing on the wrong side of history again, Netanyahu and his regime, along with Israel's Western enablers have unleashed the machinery of death and destruction in the region, causing carnage and crimes against humanity, in a genocidal campaign that has murdered over 50,000 civilians, including over 10,000 children.

But resistance to occupation will not die by killing children, or even its leaders. I am confident that for all good human beings of Jewish faith and origin, a terrorist regime whose record has nothing but apartheid, genocide, carnage, looting and systematic violence cannot represent Judaism, a divine Abrahamic religion that we all respect. Rather, this regime and its practices are simply reincarnations of the darkness of Nazism and fascism.

Dear friends, sisters and brothers, aggressive Zionism is nothing but an expansionist secular movement, deceitfully using Judaism to advance its colonial and racist agenda. It abuses the
memories and blood of Jewish victims of the Holocaust, who perished during World War II, while Zionism itself is nothing but racism, chauvinism, militarism, terrorism, expansionism, apartheid and hatred against other nations and religions. It deceitfully claims to be the representative and protector of Jewish people worldwide. But in practice it is the greatest threat to the dignity and security of the Jewish people.

This regime does not uphold the Ten Commandments of the prophet Moses; rather, it violates each and every one of these Divine laws. It worships power, not God. It sacrifices Jews and Gentiles on the altar Zionism. It uses the name of the Lord in vain to justify genocide. It ruins the honor of all Jews throughout history. It operates rape camps to violate the dignity of Palestinian hostages. It has made stealing people's land a full-time habit. It has turned bearing false witness into a global industry. It considers others as subhuman, and covets its neighbors houses, villages and entire country—and on and on.

My fellow Iranians of Jewish faith, and Jewish people across the globe, you are not just horrified by the Zionist crimes committed against others—you yourself are victims of Zionist assault on your faith and identity. Continue to stand as you have done in the streets of Western capitals with all the innocent victims of Zionism in Palestine and elsewhere. Continue to support those at the forefront of this resistance, who defend human dignity. Save the divine Abrahamic Jewish faith from Zionist forgeries, marred by aggression, apartheid and genocide.

As you stand for humanity, consider the Iranian nation your ally in this noble and just
Resistance.

May God bless us all.

About Editorial Board

Contributions from members of our editorial board.