Ahmadinejad: Italy is controlled by the "Zionist Lobby"

Shahrekord, 11 June (AKI) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Italy was controlled by the "Zionist lobby", according to report by the Iranian Fars news agency.

Ahmadinejad made his remarks in Shahrekord in western Iran and was referring to his visit to the Italian capital Rome where he attended the United Nations-sponsored summit on the global food crisis. "The industrialists I met in Rome, asked for my help so that they could freely express their opinion on Iran, given that in their country [Italy] there is a climate of strong repression and a total lack of freedom of expression," said Ahmadinejad.

The Iranian leader said that his visit to Italy was a "big success" and that he was "joined in Rome by 800 journalists from all around the world who wanted to hear my proposals." He said that these same journalists showed "their full support for the Islamic Republic."

During his speech in Shahrekord, Ahmadinejad also referred to the imminent replacement of US president George W. Bush. "Your era has ended and you can no longer harm even a centimetre of the Iranian territory," he said. The hardline Iranian president said that Western threats and sanctions will not intimidate Iran which will advance its nuclear programme. "No power is capable of stopping the progress of the country and the nation of Iran will finish with the neutralisation of every conspiracy."

Click here for the latest!