Europe condemns Iran's call to wipe out Israel

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks during the conference 'The World without Zionism' in Tehran. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Europe condemned Iran's president for saying Israel should be "wiped off the map", and said the call raised concerns about the aims of a country the West suspects is planning to build an atomic bomb.

Support for the Palestinian cause is a central policy for the Islamic Republic, which does not recognise Israel. Its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said yesterday the Islamic world "will not let its historic enemy live in its heartland".

European Union leaders and Russia joined the United States and Canada in condemning the comments, and Iranian envoys across Europe, including Russia, were summoned to explain the remarks.

"I was profoundly shocked by the statements of the Iranian president, which are totally senseless and irresponsible," French President Jacques Chirac said after a one-day informal summit of EU leaders outside London.

"The Iranian president is taking the risk of his country being made an outlaw state."

France and Britain are among those leading attempts to persuade Iran to renounce nuclear technology that they suspect may be part of a weapons programme rather than, as Iran insists, purely peaceful. They and the United States have threatened to try to have the UN Security Council impose sanctions.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, asked about Ahmadinejad's comments, said: "If they carry on like this, the question people are going to be asking us is: 'When are you going to do something about this?'"

"Because you imagine a state like that, with an attitude like that, having a nuclear weapon."

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the Iranian leader's comments on Israel combined with his hardline speech at the United Nations last month underscored US concerns over its nuclear pursuits.

"What all of this does is underscores the validity of our and the world's serious concern about Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, as well as its continuing support for terrorism and its oppression of its own people," McCormack told a news briefing.

Asked whether Iran should be booted out of the United Nations, McCormack said Tehran should be encouraged to start behaving "in a responsible manner" and cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons under cover of a peaceful civilian programme.

Under reformist president Mohammad Khatami's 8-year tenure, Iran had shown signs of easing its hostility towards Israel and officials had said Tehran might not object to a two-state solution to the Arab-Israel dispute, if Palestinians wanted it.

Ahmadinejad, a former member of the hardline Revolutionary Guards and a traditional religious conservative who came to power this year, made no mention of that possibility.

But officials and analysts in Tehran insisted this did not point to a more aggressive stance.

"Iran's policy towards Israel will remain unchanged. We do not want more confrontation with the West," a senior government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

"What Ahmadinejad said is his wish, but it does not mean Iran will take practical steps to destroy Israel."

Iran backs Palestinian militant groups such as Islamic Jihad, behind yesterday's suicide bombing that killed five Israelis, but insists it does not arm them.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said: "A country that calls for the destruction of another people cannot be a member of the United Nations," according to his office.

"Such a country that has nuclear weapons is a danger, not only to Israel and the Middle East, but also to Europe," he said in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov said Ahmadinejad's comments were unacceptable, and would give powers seeking to halt Iran's nuclear programme more arguments to refer Iran to the UN Security Council.

Russia and China both oppose such a referral.

"I think we all must indeed be very sure that there is no attempt in the modern world to challenge the existence of sovereign states," Lavrov said later in Amman.

Russia, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Ireland and Italy all summoned Iranian ambassadors to request explanations.

- REUTERS