Ahmadinejad claims Wikileaks data 'released' by US, not 'leaked'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that the documents published by whistle-blower website Wikileaks were released intentionally by the U.S. administration. In an interview to the state-run Press TV Ahmadinejad maintained that the documents would not impact the country's relations with other Arab governments.

Let me first correct you. The material was not leaked, but rather released in an organized way, the Iranian President said on Monday.

He added that the leaks were not worth commenting upon and that no one would waste their time reviewing them. Ahmadinejad also stated that the United States aimed the release at pursuing political goals.

Officials in Tehran also maintained that the US administration is trying to pass judgment based on documents that had no legal value.

The reactions come in the wake of some documents leaked which state that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia had repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran. Other Arab allies also expressed unease over Iran's nuclear programme and insisted on military action against Tehran.

A cable mentioned that the Saudi king frequently exhorted the US to attack Iran to put an end to its nuclear weapons programme. In the cable Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir, stated that the king wanted Americans to cut off the head of the snake.

Officials in Jordan and Bahrain have also openly called for immediate stalling of Iran's nuclear programme and use of military if needed. Cables also suggest that leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt often referred to Iran as evil, an existential threat and a power that is going to take us to war.