IRAN’S president-elect, Hassan Rouhani, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a pro-Palestinian rally in Tehran on Friday, was misquoted as saying that Israel is a wound that “should be removed”.

Iran’s semi-official Isna news agency misreported Rouhani’s quotes, which were then widely disseminated by western news agencies and prompted Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to react to remarks that the Iranian president-elect never made.

Isna initially quoted Rouhani as saying: “The Zionist regime has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world for years and the wound should be removed.”

In fact, Rouhani said: “In our region, a sore has been on the body of the Islamic world for many years in the shadow of the occupation of the holy land of Palestine and the dear Al Quds.”

He added: “This day is in fact a reminder that Muslim people will not forget their historic right and will continue to stand against aggression and tyranny.”

Rouhani did not mention the word Israel, nor that it should be “removed”. Iran’s English-language state television, Press TV, said Rouhani’s quotes had been distorted.

“News agencies distort Iran pres-elect Rouhani’s remarks on AL Quds Day,” said a breaking news caption on Press TV.

Rouhani was speaking at the Al Quds day rally, an annual event aimed at showing solidarity with Palestinians.

According to news agencies, Netanyahu reacted to Rouhani’s falsified quotes by saying: “The real face of Rouhani has been exposed earlier than expected... This is what the man thinks and this is the Iranian regime’s operational plan ... A country that threatens to destroy Israel must not be allowed weapons of mass destruction.”

By arrangement with the Guardian