Ahmadinejad in new attack on Jewish state

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday launched a new verbal attack on Israel, saying a "countdown" had begun that would end with Lebanese and Palestinian militants destroying the Jewish state.

In a speech to mark the 18th anniversary of the death of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the President said last summer's war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah started the process.

"In Lebanon, the corrupt, arrogant powers and the Zionist regime did all they could in an unfair 33-day war. But after 60 years its (Israel's) greatness fell apart," Iranian media quoted Mr Ahmadinejad as saying.

"The countdown to this regime's destruction started through the hands of Hezbollah's children," he said in a speech to visiting foreign guests in Tehran.

"We will witness the destruction of this regime in the near future thanks to the endeavours of all Palestinian and Lebanese fighters."

Mr Ahmadinejad sparked outrage abroad shortly after coming to power in 2005 for saying that Israel should be "wiped from the map" and then repeatedly predicting that the state would disappear. Iranian officials have expressed bewilderment over the uproar caused by the comments, saying he was merely restating one of Khomeini's central beliefs that the Jewish state was doomed to destruction.

The President went on to court further controversy when he labelled the Holocaust a "myth" and invited several researchers who have played down the mass slaughter of Jews in World War II to a Tehran conference.

But in recent months, Mr Ahmadinejad has largely avoided rhetorical outbursts against the Jewish state amid public criticism from moderate quarters over his provocative comments.

In a later speech at Khomeini's shrine, Mr Ahmadinejad accused Israel of planning a new war against Lebanon over the past year but warned of the consequences for the Jewish state. "I warn the Zionist regime and its protectors," he said.

"If you want to launch a new war against the Lebanese people, this time the people's ocean of anger will become stormy and will carry away your decayed roots from this region."

Despite having no borders with Israel, Iran has become one of the most vocal backers of militant groups fighting the Jewish state, and its leaders pepper their speeches with attacks against the "Zionist regime".

Iran openly cheered on Hezbollah in its 2006 war with the Israeli army but vehemently denies that it provides military or financial support to the Shia militant group. It maintains a similar position towards Palestinian groups such as Hamas, denying that it provides anything more than moral support for them. But Iran has also helped rebuild bridges in war-ravaged Lebanon and sent millions of dollars in aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian Government to help it overcome drastic aid cuts from Western countries.

Iran's policy of non-recognition of Israel was a direct result of the Islamic revolution of 1979 led by Khomeini. Before then, the US-backed regime of the shah was one of the Jewish state's strongest supporters in the region and there was considerable trade between the two countries.