TEHRAN - Iran's president-elect Hassan Rouhani said Friday that the Islamic world should unite to confront the "Zionist regime" of Israel, semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

Rouhani told reporters on the sidelines of a rally here marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day that "the Zionist regime is an old scar on the side of Islamic world and the scar should be removed."

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians across the country rallied on Al-Quds Day, the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan, to demonstrate their solidarity with the Palestinians and condemnation against Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian lands.

The Iranians chanted slogans and carried banners and placards in support of the Palestinians and against Israel and its strong ally the United States.