Vice President Mike Pence in remarks delivered to the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 1 in Maryland called the Islamic Republic of Iran “the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world”.

Speaking about President Donald Trump’s efforts to make the United States safe, the vice president called Iran’s nuclear program “the greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East” and argued that by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement Trump has confronted that danger.

Pence also spoke about anti-Semitism and drew attention to the Islamic Republic’s calls for the “destruction of the State of Israel”. He added, “anti-Semitism is not just wrong; it’s evil”.

“Iran supports terrorist proxies, fuels conflicts in the region, plots terrorist attacks on European soil, and openly advocates the destruction of the State of Israel”, Pence told the audience.

Many top Iranian officials have called for the destruction of the Jewish state, using varying vocabulary over the years. Last year, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that no Iranian official has ever called for Israel’s destruction, eliciting sharp responses from the public and media.

Pence in his remarks warned of the danger of Holocaust when referring to Iranian statements and its nuclear ambitions.

“The Iranian regime openly advocates another holocaust and seeks the means to achieve it.But I can assure you, under President Donald Trump’s leadership…We will continue to oppose Iran, its malign influence. And I promise you: Under this President, America will never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon”, Pence reiterated.