State-aligned Iranian media channels are circulating quotes attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming he labeled both Sunni and Shia Islam as a global threat, while vowing that Islam will eradicate Zionism.
Amidst an escalating regional war and deliberate messaging campaigns between Israeli and Iranian leadership, Iranian media outlets are amplifying statements attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Islamic faith.
According to the prominent Iranian news channel آخرین خبر and cross-reported by the hardline IRGC News Channel, Netanyahu stated that "Islam, whether Sunni or Shia, is a 'threat' to the whole world". Both outlets, which reliably reflect the ideological posture of Iran's political and military establishment, coupled this report with a fierce ideological retort. Directly following the attribution to the Israeli Prime Minister, the channels declared that "Islam will dry up the roots of Zionism".
This intense rhetorical framing unfolds during a period of unprecedented military conflict in the Middle East. Under the newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran is sustaining thousands of U.S. airstrikes and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while continuing to launch ballistic missiles at Israeli targets. The religious framing amplified by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and aligned media coincides with Netanyahu's recent strategy of broadcasting direct appeals to the Iranian populace urging them to overthrow their regime.
The source text attributes a quote to Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Islam, but does not specify the time or specific speech where he allegedly made this statement. The ideological response ('Islam will dry up the roots of Zionism') is presented in the source as an editorial retort directly beneath the claim.