Iran vows to hit Israel's atomic sites if attacked
Revolutionary Guard Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari tells Islamic Republic's al-Alam television that Tehran will not hesitate to use its ballistic capabilities to strike Israel's nuclear facilities if Jerusalem strikes first
The Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday Iran will strike Israel's nuclear facilities if it attacks the Islamic state, state television reported.
"If the Zionist Regime (Israel) attacks Iran, we will surely strike its nuclear facilities with our missile capabilities," Mohammad Ali Jafari, Guards commander-in-chief, told Iran's Arabic language al-Alam television.
Jafari said Israel was entirely within the reach of Iran:
"Our missile capability puts all of the Zionist regime (Israel) within Iran's reach to attack."
"Iran is not scared of Israel's military capabilities. It is part of the psychological war that the West has launched against Iran," he added.
Military experts agree that Iran rarely reveals enough detail about its new military equipment to determine its true military capabilities, and that Iranian missiles often draw on technology from China, North Korea and other countries.
Iranian leaders often dismiss talk of a possible strike by Israel, saying it is not in a position to threaten Iran, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter; saying Iran would respond to any attack by targeting US Interests and Israel.
The United States and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear bombs, a charge Tehran denies, and have not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the row.
Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear power, has repeatedly described Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in May Iran had tested a missile that defence analysts say could hit Israel and US bases in the Gulf, a test that Washington said was a "step in the wrong direction" to remove concerns over its nuclear work.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for about 40% of globally traded oil, if it is attacked. The US military says it will prevent any such action.
