The UN Security Council condemned on Friday remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

"The Security Council condemns the remarks about Israel attributed to Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of the Islamic republic of Iran," said a press statement read by Romanian UN Ambassador Mihnea Ioan Motoc, whose country holds the council presidency for October.

Council members also expressed support for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's statement Thursday, which noted that "under the United Nations Charter, all members have undertaken to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial or political independence of any state."

Israeli UN envoy Dan Gillerman told reporters that his country welcomed the council's condemnation of the remarks by the Iranian president.

"We're very satisfied that after so many national condemnations, we have heard a clear condemnation by the UN through the Security Council. We feel that Iran, in its present state and with its present leadership, should take this condemnation very, very seriously," Gillerman said.

The council statement was drafted by Britain and its original text called for a strong condemnation. Gillerman said the language was softened at the request of Algeria, the only Arab nation on the 15-nation council.

At an anti-Zionism rally in Teheran Wednesday, Ahmadinejad said, "As the Imam (Iran's late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini) said, Israel must be wiped off the map."

Ahmadinejad's statement has drawn sharp criticism from the European Union, Israel and many other countries. Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman Thursday wrote to Ioan Motoc and Annan, calling for Iran's expulsion from the United Nations.