Iran warned
Israel of
a "painful response" if it attacks Tehran: Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar slammed the statement made
by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz over the holiday weekend, threatening to attack Iran if it doesn't abandon its nuclear program, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported late Monday.
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The Iranian minister told the press that “Ever since it lost to Hizbullah,
Israel has been suffering from psychological problems, which is why its people make foolish remarks every now and again. Young Israelis wish to emigrate to other countries and have no hope for a better future in their country. Iran, however, enjoys both stability and military power. Therefore, if someone elects to make a foolish move, our response will be quite painful.”
On Saturday, the Iranian Ambassador to the UN Mohammad Khazaee wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in which he attacked Mofaz: “Such a dangerous threat against a sovereign country and a member of the United Nations is a violation of the International Law. Therefore, the UN and especially its Security Counsel should respond accordingly.”
Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz was quoted on Friday in an Israeli newspapersaying that an attack on Iran looks "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential. “If Iran continues its nuclear development program – we will attack it. The window of opportunity is narrowing.” Mofaz added that any military attack on Iran will be approved and backed up by the US.
ElBardei tells German weekly Der Spiegel in reference to Israeli aerial strike on Syrian nuclear facility in September and Mofaz's threats regarding possible attack on Iran, that such military actions only further complicate matters: “By taking on unilateral military steps, countries are violating international agreements; we are on the brink of a historical turning point.”
Meanwhile, the struggle against the Iranian nukes gains more speed, as the European Union and the United States are expected to announce on Tuesday their readiness to take extra measures against Iran - to be issued at President George W. Bush's last US-EU summit in Slovenia on Tuesday.
The new sanctions are to be added to the limitations already placed on Iran by the UN Security Counsel. “We are willing to will continue to work together to ensure Iranian banks cannot abuse the international banking system to support proliferation and terrorism," The draft added.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last month the United States would "aggressively" impose more sanctions on Iran as long as it refused to give up nuclear work.”
Reuters and AP contributed to the report
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