Diplomatic tensions rise in Accra as Israel and Iran trade accusations
A war of words has erupted in Ghana’s capital after Israeli Ambassador Roey Gilad accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the Iranian Embassy in Accra.
Speaking at a press conference on February 10, Ambassador Gilad described Iran as a “negative force” behind terrorism and instability in the region. He warned that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile programme pose a global threat. “Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities and long-range missiles is a threat not just to Israel, but to the entire world,” he said. Gilad blamed Iran for supporting militant groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, and directly linked Tehran to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
The ambassador also addressed the future of Gaza, saying Israel would welcome reconstruction efforts but insisted they could not proceed while Hamas retains weapons. “Israel won’t be caught off guard again,” he stressed, adding that demilitarisation must precede rebuilding. He praised the United Arab Emirates as a “positive force” in reconstruction, contrasting it with Qatar and Turkey.
Gilad further suggested that Israel is open to partnering with Ghana on counter-terrorism initiatives. He noted that West Africa is experiencing a surge in extremist activity and said cooperation could include intelligence sharing, capacity building, and training for Ghanaian security agencies. “We are witnessing a surge in terrorist activities in West Africa, and Ghana is not immune to these threats,” he said.
Ten days later, the Iranian Embassy in Accra issued a strongly worded response, rejecting the ambassador’s claims as “distortion of history and inversion of well-documented facts.” The statement argued that Iran has been a bulwark against terrorism, including ISIS, and accused Israel of projecting its own actions onto others.
The embassy highlighted Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal and refusal to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty, contrasting it with Iran’s membership and compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. It also pointed to Israel’s ongoing case at the International Court of Justice, where it faces charges of genocide, and accused the country of violating numerous UN resolutions.
“Stability is born of adherence to international law, not of impunity in the killing of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children,” the statement read. It argued that resistance movements in the region are a natural response to decades of occupation and dispossession, not proxies orchestrated from Tehran.
The embassy also reminded the public of Israel’s bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, calling it a violation of the Vienna Conventions. “A regime that respects neither the sanctity of diplomatic missions nor the lives of United Nations aid workers… cannot credibly present itself as a partner for peace,” it said.
Reaffirming its ties with Ghana, the Iranian Embassy concluded by urging Ghanaians to “look beyond the rhetoric of those who profit from war” and judge international actors by their adherence to justice and human dignity.
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