In a speech in the Gulf port of Bandar Abbas broadcast by state television on Thursday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned “corrupt” powers against destabilizing the Gulf as US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited the United Arab Emirates.

We must ensure our own security in the Persian Gulf, Ahmadinejad said.

"What are you doing in our region? Why have you sent your armies to our area? If you think you can control the oil of Iraq and the Persian Gulf, you are mistaken. The youth of our region will cut off your hands."

Ahmadinejad also reiterated his controversial prediction of Israel's eventual demise.

"The Zionist regime is the most hated regime in the world. It has reached the end of the line and whether it likes or not, it will disappear," he said.

-AFP/NOW Lebanon