Ali Akbar Salehi promises 'brutal response' to attack

Ynetnews

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi addressed reports claiming Israel is contemplating an attack on his country, saying: "Iran has always been threatened by Israel. This is nothing new."

In an interview with Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News, Salehi warned that if any country attempts to assault Iran, the Islamic Republic is prepared to retaliate. "We are very certain of our powers. We can defend our country," he claimed.

"We've been hearing these Israeli threats for the past eight years. Our country is united, and we are deeply rooted in history," said Tehran's former representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

A day after Iranian army Chief-of-Staff Major-General Hassan Fairouz Abadi warned that Tehran would "punish Israel in a surprising manner" for any kind of "mistake" on its behalf, Salehi continued to issue threats, saying "Tehran will brutally respond to any attack on its territory."

'US should think twice'

Commenting on the relationship between Turkey, Syria and Iran, the foreign minister said the three nations are "members of the same family. If one is in trouble, another one will come to its help.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday during a visit to the Libyan city of Benghazi, Salehi directed his anger at the United States, stating that "The US has unfortunately lost its wisdom and prudence in dealing with international issues. It only depends on power.

"Of course we are prepared for the worst, but we hope that they think twice before they put themselves on a collision course with Iran," he said.

On Wednesday, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee approved legislation to toughen sanctions on Tehran over its suspect nuclear program in the wake of an alleged Iranian assassination plot.

The measure calls for new sanctions such as denying US visas to anyone involved in Iran's oil or gas industries, toughening existing measures against weapons of mass destruction and an amendment aimed at cutting Iran's central bank off from global financial markets.