Tehran  - The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani, has distanced himself from previous remarks made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and said that the Holocaust was "not of Iran's business," the daily Etemad Melli reported Sunday.

Since his presidency began in August 2005, Ahmadinejad has publicly doubted the historic dimensions of the Holocaust and hoped for eradication of Israel from the Middle East - causing widespread international condemnation.

Manama, Bahrain - The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani, arrived in Bahrain Tuesday to start a three-day tour of Gulf nations.

Larijani's arrival coincided with the start of a two-day meeting in Manama between the United States and Persian Gulf nations focused on maritime security. That is a continuous issue because of previous threats by Tehran to shut down the vital Strait of Hormuz if Iran should ever come under attack from the United States or Israel.