The Zionist regime is more terrorist than military;The key difference between Netanyahu and Saddam from Hashemi Rafsanjani’s perspective.

According to Saed News, quoting Tabnak, the political activist and former head of the office of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani believes that although Saddam was a criminal, at the very least he began the war with military logic — not by assassinating individuals. However, the child-killing Zionist regime started the war by assassinating our nuclear scientists and senior commanders.

Here is the full interview of Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani with Tabnak:

Mr. Hashemi, you held responsibilities during the Sacred Defense era. How do you compare today’s situation with that time, considering the direct conflict between Iran and the Zionist regime?

First of all, there are many differences between that period and the current situation. At the beginning of the imposed war, Saddam started his attack by bombing our airports. He claimed that he didn’t accept the 1975 treaty because he had felt weak under the Pahlavi regime, and now that Iran was weaker post-Revolution, he considered himself justified in tearing up that agreement.

Is there a difference in the war tactics used by Saddam and the Zionist regime?

The Iran-Iraq War was initiated based on clear claims rooted in international treaties, and Saddam mostly targeted military infrastructure and airports, without directly attacking individuals. In contrast, the illegal and child-killing Zionist regime started this conflict by assassinating our nuclear scientists and senior commanders.

Unfortunately, several of our senior commanders were assassinated…

They carried out a premeditated and coordinated operation, assassinating several of our top commanders and scientific elites within just a few hours one night. This marks a major difference between Netanyahu and Saddam. While both were aggressors, Saddam targeted facilities, whereas Netanyahu directly targeted individuals. This indicates a significant difference in mindset between the two regimes: despite being a criminal, Saddam at least began the war with military logic — not through assassinations.

How do you evaluate our organization and response after the assassination of senior military commanders?

After the attack, our forces, fully aware of Netanyahu's treacherous intent, reorganized in less than 12 hours and delivered a harsh response despite the loss of top commanders. The counterattack defied the expectations of both the U.S. and the Zionist regime. They had assumed that by assassinating a few scientists and commanders, the Islamic Republic would collapse. However, the system's resilience and readiness disproved that assumption.

So in your view, we are facing a different kind of war with the Zionist enemy?

Yes, we have entered a new kind of warfare — not purely military, but also media-driven, intelligence-based, and cyber-focused. In the course of this conflict, even the IRIB (state broadcaster) building was targeted. Although in the eight-year war, IRIB played a major role in supporting the frontlines, the attack on it today signals the enemy’s awareness of media’s influence. Still, rather than weakening morale, this incident boosted the determination of IRIB’s staff and management to highlight the Zionist regime’s crimes and inform the global public of the realities. We hope this enlightenment will be a prelude to the downfall of the child-killing regime.

Mr. Hashemi, how do you assess our air defense performance in protecting the country’s skies?

As far as we know, air defense has performed well, although there were some surprise attacks — which are natural in warfare. In war, there are both victories and defeats; such ups and downs are not unusual. At times, defense in one area may be weak, but strong in another. The main point is that our forces are currently well-prepared and will deliver a firm response to the Zionist regime.

It seems the Zionist regime did not expect such a high level of readiness and missile capability from Iran?

Indeed. Given the Zionist regime’s very limited geographical area, the Islamic Republic, with its missile power and high level of preparedness, can inflict serious damage with just a few missiles. That’s why they don’t even allow journalists to film or report on the damage. Their vulnerability is far greater than ours.

And for that reason, they’re trying to draw the U.S. and other countries into the conflict?

Exactly. Now that the Zionist regime has realized its mistake, it’s trying to bring the U.S. and some other countries into this confrontation and expand the war front. But they will not succeed, because Iran is too prepared to be weakened by such rash moves. That’s why the Speaker of Parliament declared in the early days of the war: “You started this war, but we will finish it.” That statement carries a very clear message.

Mr. Hashemi, what advice do you have for the public in this wartime situation?

This is a different kind of war. Unlike in the past when military installations were the targets, this time it’s ordinary civilians, commanders, and scientists who are being attacked. Even before, we witnessed threats to assassinate figures like Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. This regime is more of a terrorist entity than a military one, so people must understand what kind of war we’re facing. What’s happening now is more of a war against the people than a traditional military conflict. This clear understanding is why people have shown greater support and resilience. In such conditions, public awareness, unity, and perseverance are our greatest assets in confronting the enemy.