AFP
Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday predicted that Britian, Israel and the United States would eventually disappear from the world like the Egyptian pharaonic kings.
"The oppressive powers will disappear while the Iranian people will stay. Any power that is close to God will survive while the powers who are far from God will disappear like the pharaohs," he said, according to Iranian news agencies.

"Today, it is the United States, Britain and the Zionist regime which are doomed to disappear as they have moved far away from the teachings of God," he said in a speech in the western town of Javanroud.

"It is a divine promise."

Ahmadinejad's comments were the latest salvo by the deeply religious president against the West and Israel. He has repeatedly predicted that Israel is doomed to disappear.

The remarks come amid mounting efforts by UN Security Council powers to agree a resolution imposing sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

"They are threatening us with sanctions. But they have to know that nuclear energy is the desire of all the (Iranian) people and the people will insist on their right," Ahmadinejad said.