Iran calls on countries to cut ties with Israel

Iran's foreign minister has called on all countries to cut diplomatic ties with Israel to show their support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The official IRNA news agency quoted Manouchehr Mottaki as saying Tuesday that countries around the world, especially Arab and Islamic states, must pressure Israel to end its offensive against Gaza. The report quoted Mottaki as praising the decision by Mauritania and Venezuela to expel Israeli ambassadors to those countries and said other states should do the same.