Iran has restated its long-term opposition to the existence of the state of Israel by claiming all Muslims nations share its belief that the Jewish state is an enemy of Islam.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami made the claim as he announced Iran will soon unveil a new domesically designed and built fighter jet.

Iran’s semi-official news agency ISNA reports General Hatami referred to the U.S. plan to foster a NATO-like security and political alliance between Arab countries, when he said the initiative “is mostly in words.” He then added:

It is highly unlikely that the Americans and especially the Zionist regime will dare to allow such an alliance between the Muslim countries as they know that Muslim nations have a clear objective and view Israel as the real enemy of the region.

The Trump administration announced last month it is quietly pushing ahead with a bid to create a new security and political alliance with six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, in part to counter Iran’s expansion in the region, according to U.S. and Arab officials.

General Hatami went on to warn the U.S. that Iran has developed its own defense sector as a counterbalance to that alliance..

“We will spare no efforts to preserve the defense power and will develop it,” the Iranian defense minister said, adding, “We have no other way because the enemies want to disarm us”.

Iran, he noted, has “designed its domestic defense and should make the enemy understand that if it hits us once, it will be beaten ten times”.