Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria Michael Freeman has accused Iran of sponsoring extremist groups in Nigeria and other parts of the world, alleging that Tehran supports organisations aimed at destabilising countries while pursuing its hostility toward Israel.

Freeman made the allegation on Friday during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise News, where he argued that Iran openly declares its intention to destroy Israel and backs militant networks to advance that position.

He said Iran is the only country within the United Nations that, in his view, publicly expresses a desire to eliminate another sovereign state. He claimed that over several decades, Tehran has supported armed groups and organisations globally to further that objective.

The ambassador specifically cited groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, alleging that Iran backed them and was involved in the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel. He also claimed Iranian activities aimed at spreading instability have been observed in regions including Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa.

Turning to Nigeria, Freeman alleged that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria receives backing from the Iranian government. He pointed to public statements and social media posts by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as evidence of what he described as open support for certain movements.

“In the past 47 years, we’ve seen them sponsor terror organisations… We’ve seen them acting across the world to spread disturbance in pursuit of their aim,” Freeman said during the interview.

He further argued that Israel would not accept a situation in which a country seeking its destruction acquires nuclear weapons, reiterating longstanding Israeli concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iranian officials have consistently denied allegations that they sponsor terrorism, maintaining that their foreign policy supports allied political and armed groups as part of regional strategy rather than destabilisation.