Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the comments by Iran’s President-elect, who described Israel as an “old wound”, revealed his true face, Haaretz reports.

"(Hassan) Rohani has shown his true colors sooner than expected," Netanyahu said in Jerusalem.

"This is what the man thinks and it is the action plan of the Iranian regime," he said. "There is a new president, but the goal of the regime has not changed - to develop nuclear weapons to threaten Israel, the Middle East and peace and security in the entire world."

Netanyahu added that a state that threatens Israel with annihilation should be prevented from acquiring any weapons of mass destruction.