TOKYO — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has voiced concern about aggressive US leadership and its unyielding stances which had been perpetuating global discord, cautioning that the world might be heading toward war if the US continues to antagonize Russia, Nikkei Asia reported.

In an interview on the sidelines of Nikkei's Future of Asia forum in Tokyo, Mahathir said Americans have not learned any lessons from past wars, the Japanese newspaper website said on Saturday.

Mahathir argued that the US has long sought to maintain its dominant position on the global stage since the end of the Cold War, viewing the rise of other nations, especially China, as a direct threat, said the report

"The US regards anybody who challenges them as the enemy, which is why we have problems involving the US with Iran, Russia and China. The US is not tolerant. People cannot be 100 percent exactly like you. We accept the differences," Mahathir said.

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Mahathir argued that the US has long sought to maintain its dominant position on the global stage since the end of the Cold War, viewing the rise of other nations, especially China, as a direct threat, said the report.

Mahathir emphasized that China rose to become the world's second-largest economy because it has "the capacity to grow and be No. 1," a development not welcomed by Americans.

The senior statesman also criticized Western powers amid growing global tensions, especially since the onset of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict last October, the report said.

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"A lot of injustices are committed, but the US and Europe view these injustices as issues that don't concern them. They don't try to stop Israel from committing all kinds of crimes," he said.

Noting that the US is the world's biggest arms trader and continually produces new weapons, Mahathir claimed it is in Americans' interest to see wars fought elsewhere, Nikkei Asia said.

"There is this belief in the West that to have peace, prepare for war, but that is wrong. Preparing for war ensures war because to make money from selling weapons, people must fight," he said.