Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does not seek to destroy the Jews but only to effect "regime change" in Israel, according to his aide on diplomatic and security matters, Hussein Mussawian.

"Ahmadinejad is not interested in annihilating the Jews who live in occupied Palestine," said Mussawian in an interview. "What he wants to see is a change of the Zionist regime, just as all Muslims want a change in the Zionist regime and having it turn into a Palestinian regime."

"Why is it," the Iranian official asks rhetorically, "that while the Americans call for a regime change in Iran, our leaders are not allowed to call for changing the Zionist regime?"