U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday accused Iran of threatening Israel, saying that the United States will rise to Israel's defense if needed against Iran.

"Israel is a solid ally of the United States, we will rise to Israel's defense if need be," Bush told local mass media.

"I am concerned about a person that, one, tries to rewrite the history of the Holocaust, and two, has made it clear that his intentions are to destroy Israel," Bush said.

Bush's remarks were apparently referring to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who has prompted world condemnation for anti- Israel rhetoric in recent weeks, including saying it should be wiped off the map, and also calling into question the Holocaust.

Source: Xinhua