Strike on Iran would mean war: Commander

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-5  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

IRAN would consider any military action against its nuclear facilities as the beginning of a war, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards said yesterday.

General Mohammed Ali Jafari's comments, carried by Iran's official news agency, come amid mounting speculation of a possible Israeli military strike against Iran.

The United States has said all options are on the table, and there are worries that Israel might be considering a unilateral strike. Both countries, which accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons, say they favor a diplomatic solution.

Jafari said any country that attacks Iran would regret doing so. "Any action against Iran is regarded as the beginning of war," Jafari said, according to the IRNA news agency report.

"Iran's response to any military action will make the invaders regret their decision and action," he said.

In a newspaper interview last week, Jafari warned that if attacked, Iran would barrage Israel with missiles and choke off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a narrow outlet for oil tankers leaving the Persian Gulf.

However, the general was also quoted as saying that he thinks a strike by Iran's adversaries is unlikely.

Iran's top diplomat, Manouchehr Mottaki, said in New York on Wednesday that the United States and Israel would not risk the "craziness" of attacking his country and possibly provoking a wider Middle East war or driving oil prices into uncharted heights.

Mottaki called the speculation of a military strike part of "psychological warfare."

An Israeli military exercise last month was seen as a warning to Iran. The US and Israel say Iran's nuclear program is a cover for weapons production, while Iran insists it is only for power generation.