Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Western powers have been using the Holocaust to play the role of innocent victims.

"These powers used it [the Holocaust] to oppress other nations but we touched the issue of the Holocaust, which was their main weakness," Ahmadinejad said during a radio program on Wednesday.

Ahmadinejad's comments came after he was asked if he accepted the criticism that his reference to the issue had amounted to "adventurism" in the country's foreign policy, Fars news agency reported.

"Today, Iran's role is as important as that of the US in the international arena. Is this adventurism?" he said.

On several occasions, Ahmadinejad called for a historical research to find realities about the Holocaust. His remarks have sparked outrage among the Western powers, which labeled him as a holocaust denier.

The critics also slammed the President for what they called an unnecessary provocation of the West through discussing an irrelevant issue.

MGH/SME/RE