The comments were posted Wednesday on his presidential Web site. They appear to be part of an effort to defuse criticism by hard-liners over recent remarks made by a high-level official.
Last week, Iranian media quoted Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashai as saying Iranians were “friends of all people in the world – even Israelis.”
The comments were rare from a government official in Iran. They sparked domestic criticism of Mashai, with some officials calling for his resignation.
