Iran's new President Hasan Rouhani has called Israel an "old wound", echoing the other Iranian leaders.

"The Zionist regime has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world for years and the wound should be removed," Rouhani was quoted as saying after taking part in an annual pro-Palestine rally in Tehran on Friday, Aug 2.

Rouhani won Iran's June 14 presidential election to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The inauguration is due on Sunday.

Rouhani pledged to follow a "path of moderation" and promised more openness over Iran's nuclear program, which has placed it at odds with the West.