Ban condemns Ahmadinejad's anti-Israel statement

United Nations - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's anti-Israeli statements.

"The secretary-general is dismayed by the remarks threatening Israel's existence attributed over the last two days to the Supreme Leader and the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The secretary general condemns these offensive and inflammatory statements," the UN said.

"The secretary-general believes that all leaders in the region should use their voices at this time to lower, rather than to escalate, tensions. In accordance with the UN Charter, all members must refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state," it said.

Ahmadinejad said Friday that "denying the existence of Israel and confronting Zionists really meant defending rights of all human beings and respecting the dignity of nations" and that "the existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to humankind".

He also said "confronting Zionists will also pave the way for saving the whole humankind from exploitation, depravity and misery", as cited by the IRNA news agency.