In his latest rant, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad questioned the occurrence of the Jewish Holocaust and—perhaps to provide a practical means of implementing his recent suggestion to wipe Israel “off the map”—called for the Jewish State to be relocated to Europe.

At a news conference in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, the president stated, “Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces.” But Iranians do not accept that claim. In case the Holocaust might have occurred, the president went on to say, “If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces—like in Germany, Austria or other countries—to the Zionists, and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe” (Weekend Australian,December 10).

Since his election earlier this year, President Ahmadinejad’s mouth has been working overtime. And although these comments sparked international outrage and criticism from many world leaders, it’s obvious that actual repercussions will be mild, if there are any at all. Despite many such statements over the past few months, Ahmadinejad has never received anything but verbal rebuke from foreign powers. No one has made a decisive move to put the haughty president in his place.

The president’s comments about the Holocaust received the most attention, but this wasn’t the only controversial news that came out of Tehran last week.

Unperturbed by Western pressure to curb its nuclear program and embrace a less provocative foreign policy, the Iranian government appears to be taking every action possible to work against the will of the West. On top of the president’s remarks about relocating Israel to Europe, another two events from last week prove this point.

In a press conference December 5, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov confirmed reports that Iran had signed a contract with Russia to purchase $1 billion worth of weapons, including up to 30 Tor-M1 short-range missile systems. When questioned about the weapons deal, Iranian officials were unapologetic.

Speaking to the Islamic Republic News Agency, one Iranian official stated that “Tehran has been trading arms with many countries and would continue to do so” (abc News, December 5).

A day before the Russian weapons sale was confirmed, an Iranian news agency reported that the government plans to construct another two nuclear reactors. It was also revealed that Russia will likely play a lead role in the construction of at least one of the reactors. For the sake of consistency, Tehran claimed the nuclear plants will be used to produce electricity.

As America and the West remain embroiled in fruitless negotiations with Tehran, these three stories from last week highlight the true intentions of President Ahmadinejad and the mullahs who support him. These men might play the game of politics from time to time, but at the end of the day, there will be no compromise and no stopping them from pursuing their goals.

Over the next few months and years, America and the West will come to realize that negotiation will never put an end to Iran’s arrogant and anti-Western foreign policy.

Iran will continue to rally the Middle East and steadily move away from rapprochement with the West. As this occurs, expect Europe to grow increasingly concerned with the direction this leader among Muslim nations is taking. It could even spur European nations to accelerate the process of unification.

Iran will remain the rogue nation of the Middle East. Serious changes are occurring in this world. If you would like to stay abreast of global trends, request your free subscription to the Trumpet.