Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not tolerate oppression
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Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has insisted Iran does not intend to attack any foreign state.
He spoke after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week called for Israel to be "wiped off the map".
Following those comments, Iran's foreign ministry said it had never used or threatened to use force.
On Friday, in a live broadcast to mark Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, Ayatollah Khamenei said: "We will not commit aggression towards any nations."
He went on: "We will not breach any nation's rights anywhere in the world.
"But if the power-seekers of the world - out of habit - want to infringe our nation's rights, it will not tolerate oppression by anyone or any powers," he said to a crowd of thousands including top officials.
He also went on to celebrate the 26th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran.
Mr Ahmadinejad's comments, at a conference titled "A World without Zionism", provoked an international furore.
Iran is also under intense pressure over its nuclear programme.
The US, UK and other countries are pressing for its referral to the UN Security Council over its decision to resume uranium enrichment.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.
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