 | | Iran's Shahab-3 missiles have a range of 2000 km |
Iran would launch medium-range missiles if attacked, a military leader said, accusing Britain and the United States of arming rebels as international pressure mounts on Tehran over its nuclear plans. Yahya Rahim Safavi, commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guard, told state television on Saturday: "If we come under a military attack, we will respond with our very effective missile defence." Western states suspect Iran of secretly aiming to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran insists its nuclear facilities are intended to produce only electricity. The United States and Israel have said they would prefer to solve the stand-off through diplomacy but have not ruled out a military strike. Military experts reckon the Revolutionary Guard's Shahab-3 missiles have a range of some 2000 km, meaning Israel, US bases in the Gulf and foreign troops in Iraq lie within their range. Allegations Safavi repeated Tehran's allegations that Britain and the US are arming rebels in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, which has most of Iran's abundant oil reserves. "Occupying forces in Iraq, particularly those in the south, provide Iranian agents with material for bombing," he said. "British and US intelligence services should avoid interfering in our affairs." Bombs ripped through a bank and government building in Khuzestan city of Ahvaz on Tuesday, killing eight people. But Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tehran was willing to work with Britain to put an end to the violence."British and US intelligence services should avoid interfering in our affairs"
Yahya Rahim Safavi,
Commander-in-Chief of Iran's
Revolutionary Guard |
"Iran's security officials have said they are ready to hand over to British oficials the documents related to the previous and recent incidents in Ahvaz," Mottaki told a news conference. "That would be done soon and we hope that, by means of constant follow-ups, we reach tangible results that could prevent such events from happening again," he said. Claim not verified A group fighting for the independence of Iran's Arab minority claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks but the claim could not be verified. Defence analysts say Iranian ballistic missiles owe much to North Korean and Russian know-how. "Iran produces its own ballistic missiles and does not draw on any foreign assistance for technology," Safavi said. The Revolutionary Guard is a parallel military answerable directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Recommend this article...
Tags: Iran Iran to fire missiles if attacked
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