Defense chief: Israel no match for Iran's armed forces

TEHRAN, (Xinhua) -- Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said on Sunday that Israel is not the match for the armed forces of Iran, Iran's satellite Press TV reported.

Calling the Iranian armed forces as "skillful and organized," Najjar said "modern weapons are not the only defense criteria."

"The willpower and support of Iranians is very important," he added.

Referring to recent reports on Israel's military maneuver over the Mediterranean Sea, Najjar said "Tel Aviv is a mass producer of weapons of mass destruction."

Such reports only signal its "weakness and desperation", he said.

Israel accuses Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program and demands the country abandon its uranium enrichment.

Tehran, however, insists its nuclear activities are aimed at providing fuel for its power plants.

A former senior Israeli general, Isaac Ben-Israel, claimed on Saturday that Tel Aviv is capable of carrying out a "successful" aerial strike on Iranian nuclear sites at any time.

The New York Times reported on June 20 that U.S. military believed a major military exercise by Israel in early June was a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

Some American officials said the Israeli exercise appeared to be an effort to develop the military's capacity to carry out long-range strikes and to demonstrate the seriousness with which Israel views Iran's nuclear program.

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