TEHRAN - The Joint Staff of the Islamic Republic Army, in a statement on Wednesday, urged Iranians to attend a nationwide demonstration scheduled on Friday to protest recent anti-Iran remarks of U.S. President George W. Bush.

The staff stressed the importance of highlighting U.S. past atrocities against the country, and stressed that Washington was exploiting the September 11 terror attacks on the US to justify and continue its hostile policies towards the Islamic Republic.

The staff condemned the remarks of U.S. president which accused the Islamic Republic of being 'undemocratic,' and voiced readiness of the Iranian armed forces to defend the territorial integrity of the country in the face of foreign threats.