Israel, US ‘mull military strike’

Iran accused Israel and the United States of seeking world support for a military strike on its nuclear facilities, which Russia warned yesterday would be “a very serious mistake”.

Germany said meanwhile that it would call for “greater pressure” on Iran to comply with international commitments on its nuclear programme.

The spike in tension comes ahead of the release this week of a report into Iran’s nuclear drive by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which diplomats say will focus on the Islamic republic’s alleged efforts to put fissile material in a warhead and developing missiles.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned against a military attack on Iran and again insisted Tehran’s atomic programme was for peaceful purposes only.

“Iran’s capabilities are increasing and it is progressing, and for that reason it has been able to compete in the world. Now Israel and the West, particularly America, fear Iran’s capabilities and role,” Mr Ahmadinejad said in remarks published yesterday in Egypt’s Al-Akhbar newspaper.

“Therefore they are trying to gather international support for a military operation to stop (Iran’s) role. The arrogant should know that Iran will not allow them to take any action against it,” he said.

Mr Ahmadinejad added Washington wanted to “save the Zionist entity, but it will not be able to do so”.

“This entity (Israel) can be compared to a kidney transplanted in a body that rejected it,” he said. “Yes it will collapse and its end will be near.”

Mr Ahmadinejad’s diatribe against Israel, Iran’s arch-foe, comes after Israeli President Shimon Peres warned on television Saturday that an attack on Iran was becoming “more and more likely.”

He followed this up in comments published Sunday by the Israel Hayom daily, saying: “The possibility of a military attack against Iran is now closer to being applied than the application of a diplomatic option.

“We must stay calm and resist pressure so that we can consider every alternative,” Mr Peres said. In response, Russia warned against a military strike on Iran.