Iranian professor Sadegh Zibakalam questioned Iran’s oft stated desire to destroy Israel. Photo: Wikipedia.

An Iranian professor disputed Iran’s claim to having the responsibility to ensure the destruction of Israel, a YouTube video uploaded on Tuesday shows.

“You claim that the Islamic Republic of Iran has a responsibility to annihilate Israel,” Sadegh Zibakalam is seen telling a gathered audience during a seminar in Tehran. “The first question I would like to put to this regime is that this responsibility to annihilate Israel as the core values of Iranian foreign policy, who has given this responsibility to the Islamic Republic of Iran?”

The University of Tehran professor then went on to ask if Iranians had called for Israel’s annihilation in a referendum or if the Iranian parliament had legislated for the Jewish state’s destruction.

Zibakalam’s comments prompted some in the audience to begin chanting “Death to Israel.” Other audience members then booed those who called for Israel’s destruction. Responding to his critics in the audience, Zibakalam called them “tyrannical and dictatorial” for disrupting the debate. The attendees then began chanting Zibakalam’s name in support of the political science professor, who made headlines last year for saying he recognizes Israel as a state.

“Has the Arab League said it was incompetent to annihilate Israel and pleaded Iran to do so on their behalf?” he went on to ask. “Have Palestinians pleaded for this? Or the U.N. Security Council?”

He concluded asking, “Who on earth has given this responsibility to Iran to annihilate Israel?”

Zibakalam also questioned Iran’s hostility toward Israel during a debate in April about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. At the time, the professor said other countries — such as Brazil, Argentina and India — all have nuclear programs but Iran is the only country that has announced its desire to destroy Israel.

“Who has given us the duty to destroy Israel?” Zibakalam asked. “Israel has never said it wants to destroy us … Even Palestinians recognize Israel. We are more catholic than the pope.”

Watch Zibakalam challenge Iran’s call to destroy Israel in the video below: