TEHRAN — Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has mocked the Israeli prime minister’s speech at the UN General Assembly as a “ridiculous show” which intended to deceive people, saying the Zionist regime is the greatest threat to world peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Tuesday that Iran poses the greatest threat to peace in West Asia. He accused the Islamic Republic of attacking its neighbors and fomenting violence in the region.

In his speech, the Israeli prime minister also lauded U.S. President Donald Trump for leaving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposing the sanctions that had been lifted against Tehran under the pact.

He also lashed out at the UN Security Council for refusing to extend an arms embargo on Iran.

The Israeli premier also claimed that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons.

Asked by reporters about Netanyahu’s speech, Khatibzadeh described the remarks as a new act in a serial of puppet shows that originate from Netanyahu’s conspiratorial mind and from the counter-intelligence campaign run by the Zionist regime’s espionage services.

“The prime minister of the fake, usurper and child-murdering Zionist regime continues to tell lies by taking the podium at international circles, and is trying to deceive public opinion and the global circles with ridiculous shows in order to prevent trial of the regime’s criminal leaders at the international courts,” Khatibzadeh said on Wednesday, according to the Foreign Ministry website.

The spokesman added that the Zionist regime’s nature is based on occupation, deception and racism.

He further condemned the Zionist regime as the greatest global threat to peace and security given its stockpile of hundreds of nuclear warheads.

Last week, on the occasion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Iran condemned the U.S. and the Zionist regime for their destabilizing policies and activities which threaten world peace.

“The International Day for the Total Elimination of #NuclearWeapons, provides an opportunity for the int'l community to re-emphasize its commitment to nuke disarmament as a priority. We believe in a peaceful & secure world, with no state possessing weapon of mass destruction,” the Foreign Ministry wrote in a series of tweets on September 26.

“Also in our region, the Israeli Regime with its 10s of nukes remains the biggest threat to peace & security & - supported by the U.S. – prevents the ME to become a NWFZ,” the tweets read.

Israel is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and has refused to either confirm or deny the possession of nuclear weapons in its arsenal.

The regime is believed to possess 200 nuclear warheads, making it the only country in West Asia that has nuclear weapons.

This is while Iran has signed the NPT and its nuclear program is inspected regularly by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA has in numerous occasions certified the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.

Tehran also signed a nuclear agreement with six major powers in 2015 to assure the world that its nuclear program is peaceful in nature. The U.S., however, exited the deal in 2018.

MH/PA