Iran President Stands by anti-Israel Remark

Agence France Presse:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday dismissed widespread international condemnation of his call for Israel to be "wiped off the map", saying his controversial remark was "right and just".

"They are free to talk but their words do not have any validity. It is natural that if a word is right and just it will provoke a reaction," he was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA. READ MORE

"My words are the exact words of the Iranian people," said the hardline president.

The report said he went on to criticise "international Zionism and the expansionist policies of the world arrogance" — terminology usually used to refer to the United States and Israel.

"They are cheeky humans, and they think that the entire world should obey them," Ahmadinejad said. "They destroy Palestinian families and expect nobody to object to them."