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Iran warns of 'painful' response if Israel attacks

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-10 19:00

TEHRAN - Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar was quoted on Tuesday as warning Israel of a "very painful" response if it launched a military strike over the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear program.

Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar speaks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) before the start of an official meeting in Tehran May 26, 2008. [Agencies]

On Friday, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told an Israeli newspaper an attack on Iran looked "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of UN sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential.

Asked about Mofaz's comments, Najjar was quoted by the state Iran daily newspaper as saying: "Our armed forces are at the height of their readiness and if anyone should want to undertake such a foolish job the response would be very painful."

Some Israeli political commentators have accused Mofaz of making the comments to advance his personal political ambitions.

Najjar said Israeli officials "every now and then say things which amount to foolish claims."

The United States accuses Iran of secretly seeking to build nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear program is solely for power generation to meet the demands of its oil-rich economy.

Washington says it wants a diplomatic solution to the standoff but has not ruled out military action if that were to fail.

Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, bombed an Iraqi reactor in 1981.

A Israeli air raid on Syria last September razed what the United States said was a nascent nuclear reactor. Syria denied having any such facility.

Many independent analysts say Iran's nuclear sites are too numerous, distant and fortified for Israel to take on alone.