Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is again highlighting his denial of the Holocaust, saying the anger his comments provoke is a source of pride.
Mr. Ahmadinejad's comments Monday come shortly before he heads to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Last week, he said the Holocaust is a lie created by Western nations to justify the creation of Israel.
U.S. and European officials denounced those remarks as hateful. Despite Mr. Ahmadinejad's celebration of the controversy, a spokesman for the president said he is bringing a message of peace when he heads to New York.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials say that they still have the option for a military strike against Tehran's nuclear program. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said he had received assurances from Israeli leaders there would be no Israeli strike on Iran. On Monday, Israel's deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, said Israel has not dropped any options for dealing with the nuclear threat.
President Ahmadinejad is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly this week. Next week, Iranian officials are expected to resume negotiations with world powers on October first about their controversial nuclear program.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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