Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos Wednesday strongly condemned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call to eradicate Israel and summoned Iran's ambassador in Madrid for an explanation.

Moratinos summoned Iran's ambassador and issued a statement saying he "condemned the remarks in the most emphatic terms."

Ahmadinejad said earlier in the day that Israel should be "wiped off the map," while lashing out at Muslim nations which recognize the Jewish state.

"Israel must be wiped off the map," Ahmadinejad told a conference called "The World without Zionism," attended by some 3,000 students who chanted "Death to Israel."

It is the first time in years that a top Iranian official openly called for Israel's eradication, though such slogans are regularly used at rallies.

Source: Xinhua