Hezbollah Member of Parliament Walid Sakariya said on Tuesday that Iran’s nuclear weapons program is intended to obliterate Israel.

During an interview broadcast on Lebanon’s al-Manar tv station, the retired general said that when Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it will serve not just Iranian interests, but also those of Syria—chief among these being the annihilation of the Jewish nation.

“The entire equation in the Middle East will change,” Sakariya said. “This nuclear weapon is intended to create a balance of terror with Israel, to finish off the Zionist enterprise, and to end all Israeli aggression against the Arab nation.”

Iranian authorities generally maintain that Tehran’s debated nuclear program is intended only for nonviolent purposes, but Sakariya’s comments offer a glimpse into the true nature of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. As the M.P. said, the “entire equation” of the Middle East is rapidly changing, and the shifting paradigm leaves Israel increasingly isolated in a rapidly radicalizing Middle East. To understand who the Jewish nation will ultimately turn to for protection from the multiplying perils, read Hosea—Reaping the Whirlwind.