Posted on 02/04/2002 1:12:15 PM PST by truthandlife
Iran warned Israel on Monday not to consider attacking its nuclear power plant, saying the Islamic republic would retaliate in ways "unimaginable" to the Jewish state.
"If Israel carries out any military action against Iran, it will face a response that will be unimaginable to any Israeli politician," Defense Minister Admiral Ali Shamkhani told Arabic-language al-Jazeera television. He said he was not referring to a nuclear response.
The admiral was responding to a question about what Iran's reaction would be to a possible Israeli attack on an Iranian nuclear power plant under construction by Russian experts near the Gulf port of Bushehr.
Iranian media often warn of a possible Israeli strike against the Bushehr plant similar to Israel's air attack on an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981.
"Iran is not a small country like Iraq. Iran has a powerful artillery, a disciplined army and skilled air defences," Jazeera quoted Shamkhani as saying.
According to Shamkhani, Israel cannot carry out an attack against the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, and Iran does not fear such a thing. Shamkhani noted that he does not even consider the possibility of Israel bombing the nuclear plant.
Shamkhani is thought to be close to Iran's spiritual leader Ali Hamani, who appoints all of the important ministers in the Iranian government.
The warning came amid growing U.S. pressure on Iran to halt its alleged efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.
U.S. President George W. Bush has in the past week issued a series of warnings to Iran, along with Iraq and North Korea, accusing them of being an "axis of evil."
Iran strongly denies seeking nuclear weapons and says its atomic program is for non-military use.
Both Israel and the United States have tried but failed to convince Russia to stop its military and nuclear energy cooperation with the Islamic republic.
Beat me to it by a long shot! It was the first thing I thought...
FMCDH
"If Israel carries out any military action against Iran, it will face a response that will be unimaginable to any Israeli politician," Defense Minister Admiral Ali Shamkhani told Arabic-language al-Jazeera television. He said he was not referring to a nuclear response.
But if Israel waits, it will face the spectre of nuclear annihilation--which is sadly not very difficult to imagine.
MM
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