Editor's note: This story includes a clarification.
Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani on Friday called Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands a "wound."
“In our region there has been a wound for many years on the body of the Islamic world, in light of the occupation of holy Palestine and the beloved Jerusalem, and today is a reminder that Muslims will not forget this historical right of theirs and will continue to stand against injustice and oppression," Rouhani told journalists at a rally in Tehran.
Rouhani was speaking at annual International Quds Day celebrations, which was introduced in 1979 by the Islamic Republic of Iran to express solidarity with the Palestinians.
Earlier, Reuters cited Iran’s student news agency as quoting Rouhani as saying that Israel is “a wound that has sat on the body of the Muslim world for years and needs to be removed.” However, other Iranian state media later said Rouhani had been misquoted.