Ali Larijani. Photo: Wikipedia.

As Iran seeks rapprochement with the world powers, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament called Israel fascist and racist, in an address to an open session on Sunday in Tehran, according to semi-official state media FARS.

“The Zionist regime represents the modern face of fascist racism, and we see again how the West and the U.S. see themselves indebted to this regime and have pioneered in all-out support for Israel and this ridiculous comedy has repeated behind the same ridiculous face of supporting the human rights at the international level and massacring the Palestinian nation in their homes,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said.

FARS said, “Larijani described resistance as the key of success and victory over the Zionist regime’s greediness, and said the diplomatic visits and maneuvers of the western officials to the occupied territories won’t benefit the Palestinians.”

Linking Larjiani’s comments to a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in September, FARS republished comments from Rouhani, the new face of the regime, arguing that the world powers are trying to remodel the Middle East to “strengthen Israel.”

“It is clear to all of us that the West has a decision for the entire region and doesn’t like our region in its present shape and this is the reason that the British and the French are returning to the region after years. A study of the (present) conditions in Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Syria shows that the West has made a chain of them and seeks to strengthen Israel and weaken the resistance front,” the president of Iran said.