By Stan Goodenough


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the State of Israel, established 60 years ago this year, has reached the "final stage" before its destruction.

And he called on the West to accept the fact of the Jewish state's "imminent collapse."

Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly threatened Israel with destruction, chose to make his comments while touring the town of Bushehr, where Russia is currently constructing a nuclear reactor for Iran.

The Iranians are believed to be pursuing nuclear power in order to build atomic bombs.

Earlier this week Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak publicly aired his belief that the Iranians are already working to build nuclear warheads for the surface-to-surface missiles.

"What we have right now is the last chapter, which the Palestinians and regional nations will confront and eventually turn in Palestine's favor," the Iranian leader said in a nationally televised message.

"Accept that the life of Zionists will sooner or later come to an end."