Iran's president has called on Islamic countries to eliminate Israel.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke Saturday in Tehran at the opening of a regional conference of Islamic nations. He said the basic problem in the Islamic world is the existence of what he called the Zionist regime. He said the Islamic world must mobilize to remove the problem.

The two-day meeting is aimed at improving security in Iraq.  Foreign ministers from many Arab countries are attending. 

Mr. Ahmadinejad called on Iraq's neighbors to help keep foreign terrorists out of that country. The Iranian president said the ongoing insurgency is an excuse for foreign troops to remain in Iraq.

The U.S. has accused Iran of supporting Shi'ite insurgents in Iraq.  But earlier this year, Washington said it was ready to discuss with Tehran how it could use its influence on Iraqi Shi'ites to bring security to that country. 

The U.S. has also blamed Damascus for allowing foreign insurgents to pass through Syria on their way to Iraq.

Mr. Ahmadinejad is known for his fiery anti-Israel rhetoric.  On Friday, he called the Jewish state a "fake regime" and said it should be dismantled.

Last year, he faced international condemnation after he questioned the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews and said Israel should be wiped off the map.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.