Worlds Apart

‘Iran is the main destabiliser in the region’ – Israel’s ex-Deputy FM Daniel Ayalon

Israel has long been on a collision course with Iran, with the two waging a surrogate conflict in war-torn Syria. Israel’s former Deputy Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the US, Daniel Ayalon, explains why Iran’s growing presence across the Middle East is dangerous for the whole region. 

“Iran is the main state destabiliser in the region,” Ayalon said. “The Ayatollahs in Iran, which I believe, don’t represent the people of Iran; they have been very dangerous, very extreme. They want a chaotic situation; they want hegemony, they actually want to control the entire Middle East.”

“Why is Israel so concerned about Iran? Iran is the only country in the world that says out in the front without a disguise that they want to destroy our country.”

You see that the region itself sees Iran as a major threat. When you have Israelis and Arabs agree on something, believe me, this is very true,” he said. 

“The pressure should be put and can be put on Iran, Ayalon urged, calling for cooperation between Russia and the US. “The interests, what we share in common is much more than what separates us.”