Israel has alleged that the Iranian government is sponsoring terrorism and banditry across Nigeria.
Michael Freeman, the Israeli ambassador to Nigeria, made strong accusations against Tehran in an interview with Arise TV that was broadcast in Abuja.
He said that the regime is actively funding terrorists in Nigeria and throughout Europe.
Freeman warned that Iran’s “entire apparatus” is committed to spreading violence and destabilizing sovereign states in order to export its revolutionary radicalism, notably citing the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) as a proxy supported by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
The current military campaign against Iran, which just took the life of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was justified by Ambassador Freeman as a “moral obligation” to stop a nuclear-armed Tehran from eradicating Israel.
With verified terror activities in Argentina, Bulgaria, and now West Africa, he asserted that Iran’s influence goes well beyond the Middle East.
The Israeli envoy claims that the strikes are a necessary reaction to 47 years of Iranian aggression and an attempt to overthrow a dictatorship that has killed tens of thousands of its own people.
Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja, the Iranian ambassador to Nigeria, quickly and sharply refuted these allegations, calling them “entirely unfounded” and the result of a desperate propaganda effort.
The Israeli accusations, according to Raja, are a calculated smokescreen meant to divert attention away from Israel’s own history of “state terrorism.”
He retorted that Israel, not Iran, has a proven track record of breaking international law by killing political leaders and scientists on foreign land.
“I would like to ask you, is this war justified? Because the fight is against Iran having nuclear weapons and nuclear proliferation. Why are you justifying stopping the Iranian nuclear program when you have these nuclear weapons? Is it justified?
“For 47 years, Iran has had a policy of ‘Death to Israel, death to America.'” Its entire apparatus and state structure has been sponsoring terrorism and organizations around the world to kill Israelis, kill Jews, and spread terror.
“We have seen Iran developing a ballistic missile program and a nuclear program. When a country says they want to destroy you and they are trying to build a nuclear weapon, it is absolutely justified. It is a moral obligation to stop a country that wants to destroy us.
“I asked you pointedly: Israel has a nuclear weapon, and Iran is trying to build one. Is it justified to take away Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon when Israel has one?
“First, Israel has never said that we have nuclear weapons. That is your statement. Israel’s policy has always been that we won’t be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the region. But the issue here is about Iran.
“Iran is the only country in the United Nations that expressly desires to wipe another country off the face of the earth. We have seen them sponsor terror organizations; they were behind the October 7th massacre by Hamas. We have seen them acting in Europe, Australia, and Nigeria.
“Israel is not a saint because for all the terror you say Iran has carried out, Israel has also carried out that level of terror. And you’ve gone ahead to kill the Supreme Leader in Iran.”
In response, the Israeli ambassador said, “That’s an absurd statement. Nigeria has been on the receiving end of terrorism from Iran. Iran sponsors all the major terror organizations: Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and groups in Iraq.
“We have seen Iran carry out terror bombings in Argentina and Bulgaria. Less than two months ago, millions of Iranians protested against the regime, and the regime’s response was to gun them down. Between 30,000 and 70,000 Iranians were shot dead. This is an illegitimate government.
The Israeli ambassador was asked, “What is Israel’s goal for this war?” He was also told critics say there was no imminent threat of an attack on Israel by Iran, yet Israel made the first move.
In reaction, he said, “Israel absolutely did not make the first move. Iran has been attacking Israel for 47 years.
“Regarding an imminent threat, since the 12-day war last year, Iran has gone all-in on moving its ballistic missile and nuclear capacity deep underground. Within a few months, that program would have been totally immune from any strike.
“Our aims are to ensure Iran does not have the capability to wipe Israel off the map. We will destroy their ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities and weaken the regime that massacred its own people.
“We will give the Iranian people the opportunity to decide the future of their country.
When asked why this will be any different from other U.S.-led interventions that resulted in more chaos, he said, “The current regime does not represent the people. When the people spoke against it, the regime shot them.”
Freeman also stated that, “In the 12-day war, we set back Iran’s program. However, over the last year, the Iranian leadership—while their people have no water and face an economic crisis—decided to invest $1 billion into rebuilding a new nuclear program deeper underground.
“They refused to negotiate or give up enrichment. If they had invested the billion dollars into their people instead of missiles and terrorists, we wouldn’t be here.”
He also denied claims of war crimes perpetrated by Israel, saying, “Israel follows the laws of war and carries out pinpoint strikes to minimize civilian casualties. Iran, on the other hand, targets civilians in Tel Aviv and Beit Shemesh. Their missiles have killed children and the elderly. It is Iran that is carrying out war crimes.
He also pointed out that the Israeli government will work with the US in fighting terrorism.
“It is well-documented that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria is backed by the Iranian regime,” he said. “Ayatollah Khamenei even posted his support on X,” he added.
“Nigeria and Israel are strong allies. As Prime Minister Netanyahu said, We are eager to partner with Nigeria according to Nigeria’s needs and desires to tackle instability.”
