Disney CEO Bob Iger has lashed out at Florida's Republican governor in an ongoing public battle between the entertainment company and the state.

On Monday, Mr Iger said that Governor Ron DeSantis's recent actions have been "anti-business" and "anti-Florida".

State lawmakers targeted Disney after it criticised a Florida law curtailing gender and sexuality education.

Mr DeSantis has pushed for more state control over Disney's Orlando theme parks in the dispute.

During a Monday meeting with Disney shareholders, Mr Iger said "a company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do", according to US media.

He said that Mr DeSantis "got very angry about the position Disney took", referring to the company's objection to the state's Parental Rights in Education Act, dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The measure bans school instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity for pupils aged nine and under.

In his remarks, Mr Iger also acknowledged a fight over a last-minute contract signed before Florida forced Disney to hand over uniquely held powers to state officials.

"It seems like he's decided to retaliate against us, including the naming of a new board to oversee the property and the business, in effect to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right," Mr Iger said.

"That just seems really wrong to me."

Mr Iger, who was leading his first investor's meeting since returning as Disney CEO in November 2022, added: "Any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida."

"And I'll just leave it at that."

For more than 50 years, the Walt Disney World territory operated within Florida's Reedy Creek Improvement District and essentially acted as a self-governing area, with control of utilities and a fire department.

Iger said Disney plans to invest more than $17 billion at Walt Disney World over the next 10 years, which were projected to create more than 13,000 jobs at Disney and thousands of indirect jobs.

"So, our point on this, is that any actions that thwarts those efforts – simply to retaliate for a position the company took – sounds not just anti-business, it sounds anti-Florida. And I’ll just leave it at that," Iger said.

The Governor's Office released a statement on Tuesday in response to Iger's comments:

"While a company has First Amendment rights, it does not have the right to run its own government and operate outside the bounds of Florida law. The Florida Legislature and Governor DeSantis worked to put Disney on an even playing field, and Disney got caught attempting to undermine Florida's duly-enacted legislation in the 11th hour."