“I assure you that there won’t be any war in the future,” Ahmadinejad told a news conference during a visit to Malaysia for a summit of developing Muslim nations. But he predicted Israel’s “regime” would collapse without the need for any Iranian action.

The Israelis “are a complex political group, but you should know this regime will be eventually destroyed and there is no need of any measure by Iranian people,” he said when asked to comment on whether he has called for the destruction of Israel. He also said the next US government “would need at least 30 years in order to compensate, renovate and innovate the damages done by Mr Bush.” The Iranian leader urged Washington to heal its image by “relying on (the) basis of justice, humanitarian acts and respect for human beings.”

“The greatest threat in the Middle East and the whole world ... is the United States’ intervention in other countries,” Ahmadinejad said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards embarked on a new round of war games to sharpen their combat readiness, amid continued tensions over the Iranian nuclear drive. “The Great Prophet Manoeuvres III” are being held by the missile divisions of the Revolutionary Guards air force and its naval vessels.

The aim of the war games is improving the combat capability of the missile and naval units.

The Revolutionary Guards are Iran’s ideological army who have their own ground forces, navy and air forces which operate in parallel to the regular armed forces. The Guards are also responsible for Iran’s most significant ballistic missiles including the Shahab-3 longer range missile, whose range has Israel and US bases in the Gulf within reach.

The agency, which is known for its contacts in the security forces, gave no further details on the war games. Such exercises are normally held in Gulf.

Tensions have risen in recent weeks over Iran’s nuclear programme, which West fears could be aimed at making a nuclear weapon but Tehran insists is only aimed at producing energy. It emerged last month that Iran’s arch enemy Israel had carried out manoeuvres in Greece that were effectively practice runs for a potential strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

The US has also said that the option of military force remains on the table but Iran has warned in return that any aggression against its soil will be met with a crushing response.