Rouhani says Israel is 'cancerous tumor' set up by West

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called Israel a "cancerous tumor" established by Western countries to advance their interests in the Middle East, Haaretz reports.

Iran's leaders frequently condemn Israel and predict its demise, but Rouhani, a relative moderate, rarely employs such rhetoric. Addressing an annual Islamic Unity Conference on Saturday, Rohani said "one of the ominous results of World War II was the formation of a cancerous tumor in the region." He went on to refer to Israel as a "fake regime" set up by Western countries.