(ANSA) - The Iranian foreign ministry summoned Italy's ambassador on Wednesday to protest over a planned march in Rome to show solidarity with Israel after the Iranian president's calls for its destruction.
The demonstration march in Rome is scheduled to be held on Thursday. Italian politicians of all stripes have said they will attend.
After receiving the formal note of protest at the Iranian foreign ministry, Rome's ambassador to Tehran, Roberto Toscano, reportedly repeated what he said to Iranian Vice President Parviz Davudi a day earlier. On that occasion, Toscano said Italy's position was that Israel has the right to exist, adding that Rome had always sought frank dialogue with Tehran on this question in the
interests of peace.
"We gave instructions to our ambassador to explain why there is such indignation in Italy," Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini told reporters later. Speaking during a visit to Israel, he told the Yediot Ahronot daily that the Iranian leader's statements had "disgusted the world" and the international community's response should be "clear and steadfast."
The Rome demo, organised by Italy's conservative daily Il Foglio, comes in response to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remark last week that Israel "should be wiped off the map".
The Iranian news agency FARS, believed to be close to the president, on Wednesday reported that the protest in Rome had been organised by "Zionists". It also said a group of Islamic students were organising a counterdemonstration outside the Italian embassy in Tehran on the same day.
The Italian embassy said on Wednesday it had received no confirmation of this from the Iranian government. Fini said earlier this week that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should refer Iran to the UN Security Council over its controversial nuclear programme.
With a nuclear weapons capability, Iran would be a "serious danger not just to Israel but to the entire international community," he said. The Italian Green party staged a sit-in in front of
Rome's Iranian embassy on Wednesday to protest against Ahmadinejad's recent remarks.
