Iran's supreme leader today warned Israel that it would be destroyed within 25 years in a chilling outburst that will spark fresh tensions in the Middle East.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said Tehran will not expand talks with the United States – which he branded the 'Great Satan' – beyond the negotiations over its controversial atomic program.
Khamenei, who makes the final decision on major policies, said: 'Some Zionists have said that regarding the result of the nuclear deal they (Israelis) have been relieved of concerns about Iran for 25 years.
'But we tell them that you will not see the coming 25 years and God willing there will not be something named the Zionist regime in the region.'
His latest remarks were likely to be seized upon by critics of the agreement as proof that Iran cannot be trusted.
Tehran has long supported militant Palestinian and Lebanese groups pledged to Israel's destruction, and Khamenei and other leaders have repeatedly predicted Israel's demise.
Israel, the region's sole, if undeclared, nuclear-armed state, has refused to rule out a military option to prevent Iran from getting atomic weapons.
Israel and Western countries have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons alongside its civilian program, allegations denied by Tehran.
Khamenei's remarks also underscored his lingering distrust of the United States as the U.S. Congress prepares to vote on the landmark nuclear agreement reached with Tehran in July.
U.S. President Barack Obama appears to have secured enough support from Democrats to prevent the Republican-led Congress from derailing the deal, but Khamenei's outburst will likely be seized upon by critics.
His remarks also appeared to quash any hopes of a broader rapprochement between Washington and Tehran, or future cooperation on other regional issues, including the two countries' shared battle against the Islamic State group.
'We approved talks with the United States about the nuclear issue specifically,' Khamenei said at a gathering of hundreds of people in a mosque in Tehran, according to his official website.
'We have not allowed talks with the U.S. in other fields and we will not negotiate with them,'
Khamenei said America remains the 'Great Satan' and warned that co-operation with Washington on other issues would allow it to 'penetrate' the Islamic republic.
'The Iranian nation ousted the Satan. We should not let it back through the window,' he said, referring to the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed shah.
His remarks came a day after Iran's moderate President Hassan Rouhani signaled that Tehran was ready to hold talks with world powers on ending Syria's civil war.
Iran is a key ally of embattled President Bashar Assad, while the U.S. supports the rebels fighting to overthrow him.
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