8216;Iran will eliminate Israel if it attacks8217;

Iran will eliminate Israel from 8220;the scene of the universe8221; if it launches a military attack on the Islamic state, a senior army commander was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Deputy commander-in-chief Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was echoing Iran8217;s late founder of the 1979 Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who said Israel should be wiped off the map.

8220;If Israel wants to take any action against the Islamic republic, we will eliminate Israel from the scene of the universe,8221; Iran8217;s semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Ashtiani as saying