A day before leaving Iran to visit his friends at the United Nations, Iranian thug-in-chief Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presided over a display of military hardware that included the slogans “Israel must be eliminated from the universe” and “Down with the USA,” and promised to “break the hands” of invaders.

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Sunday that the nation’s military will “break the hands” of invaders if attacked, as the war of words over its nuclear ambitions intensified.

“If anyone allows themselves to invade Iranian territory and its legal interests… our armed forces will break their hands before they pull the trigger,” Ahmadinejad told a military parade.

“Our nation is seeking friendship and peace… but today it is not in a position to show the least flexibility towards its bullying enemies,” he said in the speech marking the 28th anniversary of Iran’s 1980-1988 war with Iraq. …

During Sunday’s parade, Iran’s armed forces, including the elite Revolutionary Guards, showcased their weaponry. On display were the long-range Shahab-3 missile and Qadr-1, both of which a military commentator said have a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles). That would put the borders of Israel, 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) away, within their reach.

Banners displayed on trucks bore slogans including “Israel must be eliminated from the universe” and “Down with the USA.”

Meanwhile in New York, the anti-Iran rally from which Sarah Palin was disinvited has drawn a huge crowd; here’s a screen grab from Fox News: