Ali Larijani. Photo: Wikipedia.

As Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was in Vienna on Wednesday working to normalize the Islamic Republic’s relations with world powers,  Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, railed against Israel, calling the Jewish State a “malign tumor,” according to semi-official Iranian state news agency Mehr.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Tehran meeting of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation Inter-Parliamentary Union, Larijani said that Iran had close ties with Israel under the Shah’s regime, before 1979, but, after the Islamic Revolution, the relationship was ended in favor of deeper relations with Muslim countries.

Today, he said, “The West is working to save the Zionist regime as a malign tumor, while the regime has been weaker than ever now.”

“He believed the confrontation between Israel and Palestine was not a bilateral conflict, but it was a confrontation between the Zionist regime and the world of Islam,” Mehr reported, citing Larijani as saying, “Israel takes the benefits of silence by the Muslim countries and I warn on this.”

He also proposed that a meeting of Iran’s special committee for Palestinians be held under the auspices of the “Palestine Authority,” since “it would provide courage to people inside.”

The news agency quoted Salah al-Zewawi, the PA’s ambassador to Iran, as saying about Israel, “The Zionist regime is doomed and we need Syria to continue our battle.”