Australian Labour MP Michael Danby, who is Jewish, put Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on the spot during a meeting in Canberra this weekend.

Mr Zarif, who was making the first trip to Australia by an Iranian minister in 13 years, was asked by Mr Danby whether the Islamic Republic's recent missile testing "was not highly provocative and damaging to Iran's international reputation", especially given that one of the rockets fired this month was said to have inscribed on it "Israel must be wiped out". In his reply, Mr Zarif said that UN resolution 2231 only prevented Iran from firing missiles that were nuclear-capable. In addition, he demanded that Israeli ministers cease from saying Iran would be attacked.

Mr Danby said "Zarif brazenly claimed that no Iranian leader, including former President Ahmadinejad, had called for Israel to be attacked."

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mr Zarif told Mr Danby: "If, as was unlikely, there was a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, Iran would recognise the Palestinians."