Iranian MP Says Criteria for Islam 'Includes Fighting US, Israel'

Tehran representative Mahmoud Nabavian has claimed true Islam includes fighting Iran's archenemies, the US and Israel.

"The criterion for being a Muslim is, first and foremost, fighting against America and Israel," Nabavian declared. As Iran continues its decades-long proxy war against the Jewish state, he said the Iranian revolution is meaningless without opposing Israel, citing the incorporation of the principles in the Iranian Constitution and parliamentary laws.

Iran has long employed an anti-US and anti-Israel propaganda strategy as a central pillar of its ideological and foreign policy agenda. The narrative is perpetuated through state-controlled media, educational curricula, and political rhetoric, consistently framing the United States and Israel as principal adversaries. 

This messaging is not only aimed at bolstering domestic support by uniting the population against external "enemies," but also at extending Tehran's influence across the Middle East, Iran having given birth to a host of militant groups across the region such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, supporting others such as Hamas in Gaza.

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, fueled by Hamas's October 7 invasion of Israel, Iran's proxies have all launched allied attacks on both US targets for having supported Israel's right to defend itself as well as Israel, from Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Gaza.

Last month saw the first direct attack on Israel from Iran when over 350 missiles and drones were launched towards Israel, mostly intercepted by Israel and a US-led coalition force as the tit-for-tat shadow war between the two states was drawn out into the open.