Iran election: Israel voices 'grave concern' over Ebrahim Raisi
Israel has said the international community should be deeply concerned about the election of a new Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lior Haiat said Mr Raisi was Iran's most scheming president at the moment.
He also warned that the new leader would increase nuclear activities in Iran.
Ebrahim Raisi was declared the winner of Iran's presidential election on Saturday, in a race that was widely designed to support him.
Mr Raisi, who will be inaugurated in August, is Iran's supreme judge and has strong ideology. He is subject to American sanctions and has been linked to past executions of political prisoners.
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In a statement following his victory, he promised to strengthen public trust in government, and to be the leader of the nation.
"I will build a hard-working, transformative and anti-corruption government," state media said.
However at a critical Twitter event, Lior Haiat of Israel said he was "an independent activist, committed to Iran's fastest-growing nuclear program".
Iran and Israel have long been a “war of dignity” for a long time, which has led to both countries participating in participatory activities, but so far they have avoided conflicts. Recently, however, hostility between the two has intensified.
The situation is complex, but the main source of tension is Iran's nuclear activities.
Iran accuses Israel of killing its chief nuclear scientist last year and attacking one of its uranium enrichment plants in April.
Meanwhile, Israel does not believe that Iran's nuclear program is only peaceful, and is convinced that it is working to build a nuclear weapon.
Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, which imposed heavy sanctions on Iran as long as it suspended certain nuclear activities, collapsed when former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, re-imposing impaired economic sanctions. Biden's management is now trying to find a way to re-enter into an agreement.
In response to sanctions being tightened, Iran is increasing its nuclear activities, and is currently enriching uranium at its highest levels - although there is still a lack of what is needed to make nuclear weapons.
Commenting on the outcome of the election, the US said it regretted that the Iranian people were "denied their right to elect their own leaders in the form of free and fair elections".
Voter voting was at a low level in this election, as less than 50% of the registered voters were, compared to more than 70% in 2017. Many people are running away from the election, believing it has been rigged in favor of Mr Raisi, a staunch ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Negotiations on a nuclear deal
Mr Raisi's victory comes the same weekend as talks to try to save Iran's nuclear deal continue in Vienna.
The EU said another meeting would be held on Sunday between Iran and the six countries involved in the agreement. This is the sixth installment of indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, and this week officials say the parties remain divided on certain key issues, Reuters reports.
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'Tehran's butcher'
In a Twitter statement, Loor Haiat called Mr. Raisi a "Tehran butcher", referring to the 1988 assassination of thousands of political prisoners.
Mr Raisi was one of four judges, known as the "death committee", which allegedly sentenced about 5,000 men and women, Amnesty International said. In his tweets, however, Mr Haiat said more than 30,000 people had been killed, a number also targeted by human rights groups in Iran.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lior Haiat said Mr Raisi was Iran's most scheming president at the moment.
He also warned that the new leader would increase nuclear activities in Iran.
Ebrahim Raisi was declared the winner of Iran's presidential election on Saturday, in a race that was widely designed to support him.
Mr Raisi, who will be inaugurated in August, is Iran's supreme judge and has strong ideology. He is subject to American sanctions and has been linked to past executions of political prisoners.
In a statement following his victory, he promised to strengthen public trust in government, and to be the leader of the nation.
"I will build a hard-working, transformative and anti-corruption government," state media said.
However at a critical Twitter event, Lior Haiat of Israel said he was "an independent activist, committed to Iran's fastest-growing nuclear program".
1/4 After the Supreme Leader effectively dictated to the Iranian public who they could choose, less than 50% of Iranian citizens eligible to vote have elected its most extremist president to date. pic.twitter.com/gYuBdUNMqx
— Lior Haiat 🇮🇱 (@LiorHaiat) June 19, 2021
Iran and Israel have long been a “war of dignity” for a long time, which has led to both countries participating in participatory activities, but so far they have avoided conflicts. Recently, however, hostility between the two has intensified.
The situation is complex, but the main source of tension is Iran's nuclear activities.
Iran accuses Israel of killing its chief nuclear scientist last year and attacking one of its uranium enrichment plants in April.
Meanwhile, Israel does not believe that Iran's nuclear program is only peaceful, and is convinced that it is working to build a nuclear weapon.
Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, which imposed heavy sanctions on Iran as long as it suspended certain nuclear activities, collapsed when former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, re-imposing impaired economic sanctions. Biden's management is now trying to find a way to re-enter into an agreement.
In response to sanctions being tightened, Iran is increasing its nuclear activities, and is currently enriching uranium at its highest levels - although there is still a lack of what is needed to make nuclear weapons.
Commenting on the outcome of the election, the US said it regretted that the Iranian people were "denied their right to elect their own leaders in the form of free and fair elections".
Voter voting was at a low level in this election, as less than 50% of the registered voters were, compared to more than 70% in 2017. Many people are running away from the election, believing it has been rigged in favor of Mr Raisi, a staunch ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Negotiations on a nuclear deal
Mr Raisi's victory comes the same weekend as talks to try to save Iran's nuclear deal continue in Vienna.
- Iran's nuclear crisis
The EU said another meeting would be held on Sunday between Iran and the six countries involved in the agreement. This is the sixth installment of indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, and this week officials say the parties remain divided on certain key issues, Reuters reports.
'Tehran's butcher'
In a Twitter statement, Loor Haiat called Mr. Raisi a "Tehran butcher", referring to the 1988 assassination of thousands of political prisoners.
Mr Raisi was one of four judges, known as the "death committee", which allegedly sentenced about 5,000 men and women, Amnesty International said. In his tweets, however, Mr Haiat said more than 30,000 people had been killed, a number also targeted by human rights groups in Iran.
Reactions from elsewhere.
Russia's Vladimir Putin was quick to congratulate Ebrahim Raisi, citing "culturally friendly and good neighborly relations" between the two countries.Leaders of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and the UAE have sent similar messages of support and congratulations.
A spokesperson for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs Gaza, wished Iran "progress and prosperity".
However, human rights groups have said Mr Raisi should be investigated for atrocities.
"As head of Iran's repressive judiciary, Raisi oversaw some of the most heinous crimes in Iran's recent history, which deserve investigation and accountability rather than election to high office," Michael Page from Human Rights Watch said.
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