Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister-designate, speaks at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, during a special session whereby a confidence vote will be held to approve and swear-in a new coalition government, in Jerusalem June 13, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

i24 News – The victory of hardliner Ebrahim Raisi in Iran’s presidential election should serve as a “wake up” call for all those who believe the Islamic republic to be a worthy party to a nuclear deal, Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday.

Raisi, who is under US sanctions for human rights abuses, secured a widely expected victory on Saturday after a contest marked by voter apathy over economic hardships and political repression.

“This weekend Iran chose a new president — Ebrahim Raisi,” Bennett said, speaking in English at a government meeting normally held in Hebrew.

“Of all the people that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could have chosen, he chose the hangman of Tehran, the man infamous among Iranians and across the world for heading the death committees which executed thousands of innocent Iranian citizens throughout the years.”

“Raisi’s election is, I would say, the last chance for the world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement, and to understand who they are doing business with,” the leader stated.

“These guys are murderers — mass murderers. A regime of brutal hangmen must never be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction that will enable it to not kill thousands but millions. Israel’s position will not change on this,” he added.

The Israeli leadership has consistently opposed the 2015 nuclear agreement, saying it’s full of loopholes that enable Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.