Ahmadinejad: Zionist regime will be erased

Groups across Iran walked the streets in protest of "crimes of the Zionist regime", calling "death to Israel" and "death to America" on Friday. Protesters also held pictures of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Ahmadinejad took part in one of the mass rallies, in Tehran, and announced that "the Zionist regime will soon be erased from the earth.

Ahmadinejad at Tehran rally (Photo: AFP)

Ahmadinejad was quoted by the Mehr news agency as telling reporters that Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza "because it realizes that its end is near and that it will soon be wiped off the face of the earth."

The protestors burned American and Israeli flags, and, with Ahmadinejad's arrival, chanted "our government's slogan is death to Israel."

According to the Fars news agency, the demonstrators also held pictures of Gaza residents and waved signs bearing slogans against the cooperation of some Arab leaders with Israel.

Iranian media reported that among the demonstrators were university students, religious college students, engineers, athletes, teachers and military officials.

The Islamic Propagation Organization handed demonstrators signs reading "Israel is committing crimes, America is supporting them," and "The Arab states are cooperating with the criminals and are partly responsible for the spilling of blood Gaza's children's blood".

Earlier this week Iran's Red Crescent announced that it is sending a relief ship to Gaza, in the face of an Israeli blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory.