Iranian cleric wants to see creation of 'Greater Iran' to rule over Mideast, Central Asia

Tehran: A radical cleric is pushing for the creation of a "Greater Iran" that would rule over the entire Middle East and Central Asia.

Ayatollah Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi says advocating creation of what he calls an Islamic United States is a central aim of the political party he leads called Hezbollah, or Party of God.

Kharrazi is not particularly influential in Iran's clerical hierarchy and does not represent the Iranian government. But his comments reveal the thinking of a growing number of hardliners in Iran, many of whom have become more radical during the postelection political crisis and the international standoff over the country's nuclear program.

Kharrazi's comments were published on Saturday in his newspaper, Hezbollah.