Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Europe today it was stirring up hatred in the Middle East by supporting Israel and said it "may get hurt" if anger in the region boils over.
"You should believe that this regime [Israel] cannot last and has no more benefit to you. What benefit have you got in supporting this regime, except the hatred of the nations?" he said in a speech broadcast on state radio.
"We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbours of the nations in this region.
"We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt."
Mr Ahmadinejad also said any decisions by the UN Security Council, which is considering imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, were illegitimate.
Iran has refused to halt enriching uranium despite concern in the West that it is developing to build nuclear weapons. Tehran insists the programme is for power generation.
"The Security Council, in its current situation, lacks legitimacy. Its decisions are illegitimate. You [the Council] want to be the judge, the prosecutor and the executor at the same time? Those times are gone," Mr Ahmadinejad said.
The Iranian president, who says the council serves US and British political purposes, made his latest comments to worshippers at Friday prayers in speech broadcast on state radio.