Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel "must be resisted" and finished off "once and for all" if it launches a military operation in the Middle East, Reuters cited an Iranian report as saying on Thursday.
"We have reliable information ... that the Zionist regime is after finding a way to compensate for its ridiculous defeats by the people of Gaza and Lebanon's Hizbullah," Ahmadinejad told his Syrian counterpart in a phone conversation on Wednesday evening, according to IRIB, Iran's state broadcaster.
"If the Zionist regime repeats its mistakes and initiate a military operation, then it must be resisted with full force to put an end to it once and for all," Ahmadinejad reportedly asserted.
Related articles:IAEA: Iran's new enrichment modestIran braces for Islamic Revolution anniversaryOp-Ed: We're ready to pay the priceAnalysis: Is Iran pre-revolutionary?The Iranian president has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" multiple times and has voiced harsh criticism against Israeli policies.
At the UN General Assembly in New York in September, Ahmadinejad gave a fiery speech that targeted Israel as a "Zionist regime" guilty of "inhumane policies in Palestine."
Through a translator, the Iranian leader likened actions by Israel in
Gaza to "genocide,"' and said the international community "is
impatiently waiting for the punishment of the aggressors and the
murderers of the defenseless people of Gaza."
Ahmadinejad portrayed Israel and its allies, including the United States, as part of a vast conspiracy.
E.B. Solomont contributed to this report.