Iran Claims Israel 'Wound' Comments Distorted

Iran president-elect Hassan Rouhani has attempted to distance himself from comments attributed to him referring to Israel as a "wound" in need of "cleansing".

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been quick to respond to the comments, reportedly made by Mr Rouhani to journalists attending annual Quds Day rallies in Tehran.

"The Zionist regime is a wound inflicted for years on the body of the Muslim world that must be cleansed," Iranian media had reported Mr Rouhani as saying.

Mr Rouhani will be inaugurated as president of Iran on Sunday after winning June elections by a landslide.

Mr Netanyahu immediately criticised Mr Rouhani's comments, saying they revealed the Iran government's real thinking.

"The true face of Rouhani has been revealed earlier than expected," he said in a statement.

"Even if the Iranians work to deny these comments, this is what the man thinks and reflects the regime's plans," he said.

However, as the diplomatic row threatened to escalate, Iranian state media claimed Mr Rouhani's comments had been distorted and that he had made no mention of the need to "cleanse" or "remove" Israel.

Mr Rouhani was seen in new video footage, broadcast by state-backed Press TV, saying: "In our region there's been a wound for years on the body of the Muslim world under the shadow of the occupation of the holy land of Palestine and the beloved al-Qods (Jerusalem)".

Earlier in the day, outgoing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had whipped up anti-Israel sentiment at a Quds Day rally in the capital.

Mr Ahmadinejad said: "I will inform you with God as my witness, a devastating storm is on the way that will uproot the basis of Zionism.

He added Israel had "no place in this region".

In his remarks, Mr Ahmadinejad accused Israel and its Western supporters of fomenting discord in the Middle East, saying "it was their dream to see the will of regional countries bent on destroying (Israel) diverted towards civil war".

"Who is happy for what is happening in Egypt and Syria?" he asked, charging that Israel was celebrating the unrest in those countries.

Iran staged massive rallies to mark annual Quds Day, with speeches and sermons supporting the Palestinian cause and condemning Israel.

In the past, Mr Rouhani has pledged to follow a "path of moderation" and promised greater openness over Iran's nuclear program, which has placed it at odds with the West.

His remarks about Israel - his country's archenemy - follow in a long tradition of comments made by former Iranian leaders.

Quds Day is an annual event in Iran since 1979, traditionally held on the last Friday of Ramadan, to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.