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Iran leader warns US off attacks | Iran leader warns US off attacks |
(30 minutes later) | |
Iran will strike against US interests worldwide if it is attacked, the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned. | Iran will strike against US interests worldwide if it is attacked, the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned. |
"The enemies know well that any aggression will lead to a reaction from all sides," he said. | |
Washington accuses Tehran of secretly trying to develop a nuclear weapon, and has not ruled out using military force. | Washington accuses Tehran of secretly trying to develop a nuclear weapon, and has not ruled out using military force. |
The Iranians insist their nuclear programme is purely civilian and aimed at meeting their energy needs. | |
The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says Ayatollah Khamenei was defiant about the prospect of a possible American military strike. | |
The supreme leader said he hoped nobody would risk attacking Iran because the nation would stand up for itself and only become stronger militarily and economically. | |
War games | |
Another key Iranian figure, ex-President Hashemi Rafsanjani, has also warned against a strike, saying it would carry a heavy cost for those who tried it. | |
Diplomats were shown the Isfahan nuclear plant at the weekendThe warnings come as Iran is conducting fresh war games. | |
Iran says it has successfully test-fired a land-to-sea missile with a range of 350km (220 miles). | |
Tehran says it has also tested a new Russian-made air defence system. | |
Officials have refused to confirm whether the system has been deployed around nuclear sites. | |
At the weekend ambassadors from non-aligned countries were allowed to visit an Iranian nuclear facility, on what was billed as a transparency visit. | |
The UN's chief nuclear inspector is to report on Tehran's compliance with the UN Security Council's demands later this month. | |
In December the UN imposed limited sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. |