Ahmadinejad says clock ticking to Israel's 'destruction'

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said that a countdown has begun that will end with the "destruction" of Israel by the people of Lebanon and Palestine, the ISNA news agency reported.

"The countdown has started for the Zionist regime's destruction at the hands of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples," the student agency quoted the president as saying.

"In the near future we will witness the destruction of the Zionist regime, God willing."

Ahmadinejad sparked outrage shortly after coming to power in 2005 for saying that Israel should be "wiped from the map," but in recent months -- until now -- he has largely avoided rhetorical outbursts against the Jewish state.