Israeli military exercise to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, Larijani dismisses it as psychological warfare

Larijani: Iran ready to face any situation

Tehran, June 21, IRNA

Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani in a reaction to the psychological war of the western media on possible attack of the Zionist regime against Iran's nuclear installations said, "We are ready to face any situation."

Responding to a question here Saturday afternoon on the sidelines of commemoration ceremony for late martyr Dr. Mostafa Chamran, Larijani said, "If they make such a grave mistake, they will pay a high price for it." 1391**1771

Iran's speaker calls possible Israeli attack "grave mistake"

www.chinaview.cn 2008-06-22 02:28:17  

    TEHRAN, June 21 (Xinhua) --

Iran's Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani said on Saturday a possible Israeli attack against the Islamic Republic would be a "grave mistake," the official IRNA news agency reported.

    "If they make such a grave mistake, they will pay a high price for it," Larijani was quoted as saying on the sidelines of the commemoration ceremony for late martyr Mostafa Chamran.

    In his reaction to a report on a possible Israeli attack against Iran's nuclear installations, Larijani said "We are ready to face any situation."

    The New York Times reported Friday that U.S. military believed a major military exercise by Israel earlier this month 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.

    More than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighter jets participated in the maneuvers, which were carried out over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece during the first week of June, U.S. officials said.

    The exercise also involved Israeli helicopters that could be used to rescue downed pilots. The helicopters and refueling tankers flew more than 900 miles (1,450 km), which is about the same distance between Israel and Iran's uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, American officials said.

    A spokesman for the Israeli military said Israel's air force "regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel," declining to discuss details of the exercise.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who visited Washington in early June, said "the Iranian threat must be stopped by all possible means," indicating that military resort can not be excluded.

    His remarks about Iran's nuclear threat are believed to be the strongest ever the Israeli leader has made on the issue.

Editor: Yan Liang

Massive Israeli military exercise seen as provocation to Iran

Sunday June 22, 2008 01:31 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

In response to a massive military exercise carried out by the Israeli armed forces on Saturday, the Iranian government spokesman said they will not be provoked by such displays, adding that “Israel is a threat to global peace”.

The exercise, which consisted of more than 100 Israeli F-16s and F-15s flying more than 900 miles in the Mediterranean, was meant to show that Israeli planes could launch a bombing mission on Iran's alleged nuclear facility at Natanz. The distance the planes flew was the exact distance between Israel and the Natanz facility.

US officials dismissed the exercise as “sabre-rattling”, and said Israel is not likely to bomb Iran without US permission. "If the Israelis were serious about it, no one would know about it until after it has happened," said the official, adding that the Pentagon knew that Israeli forces "have been conducting some large-scale exercises - they live in a tough neighborhood".

The US government has recently increased its rhetoric against Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of attempting to create a nuclear weapons program. This is despite the investigation of the International Atomic Energy Association, which says that there is no evidence that the Iranian government is enriching uranium for a nuclear weapons program. The Israeli government, on the other hand, has an estimated 300 nuclear weapons, a fact which the Israeli Prime Minister finally admitted last year, after denying the existence of the weapons for decades.

An Iranian government spokesman, Gholam-Hossein Elham, dismissed suggestions of an attack by Israel as "impossible".

But according to Martin Van Creveld, an Israeli military analyst, preparations for a possible attack are under way. "Israel has been talking about this possibility for a long time, that it would not take an Iranian nuclear weapon lying down."