"The secretary general was shocked and dismayed at the remarks attacking Israel attributed to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on June 3 in which he says repeatedly that the world could witness the ‘destruction of the Zionist regime’ soon," Ban’s press office said in a statement released here.
Ban, who was in Germany for the G8 summit, noted that Israel is "a full and long-standing member of the United Nations" and said that under the UN Charter, "all members have undertaken to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
Earlier Thursday, the United States also condemned Ahmadinejad’s most recent comments "advocating the destruction of the state of Israel."
"These are the latest in a line of statements isolating the Iranian regime from the rest of the international community and are further cause for mistrust," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Sunday, Ahmadinejad said a "countdown" has begun that will end with Lebanese and Palestinian militants destroying the Jewish state.
In a speech to mark the 18th anniversary of the death of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Iranian president said last summer’s war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah started the process.