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Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen. (Reuters)
Last update - 18:06 08/07/2008
Report: Iran begins war game with warning to U.S. and Israel
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Israel, Joint Chiefs of Staff 

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have begun a military exercise with a warning that Israel and the U.S. naval force in the Persian Gulf would be prime targets if Iran is attacked, according to the ISNA news agency.

The report did not say when or where the exercise is taking place but adds that missile squads are involved.

The report quotes guard official Ali Shirazi as saying Tel Aviv and American warships in the Gulf would be among the first targets if Iran comes under attack.
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"The first bullet fired by America at Iran will be followed by Iran burning down its vital interests around the globe," Ali Shirazi was quoted as saying in a speech to Revolutionary Guards.

"The Zionist regime is pressuring White House officials to attack Iran. If they commit such a stupidity, Tel Aviv and U.S. shipping in the Persian Gulf will be Iran's first targets and they will be burned," the quote continued.

Shirazi, a mid-level cleric, is Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to the Revolutionary Guards.

"The Iranian nation will never accept bullying. The Iranian nation is a nation of believers which believes in jihad and martyrdom. No army in the world can confront it," he added.

In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, declined to comment on the threat to hit Tel Aviv, saying only: "Shirazi's words speak for themselves."

The U.S. and Israel have not ruled out the military option as part of international efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Leaders of the Group of Eight rich countries expressed serious concern on Tuesday at the proliferation risks posed by Iran's nuclear program.

In a statement issued after G8 leaders met in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on the second day of a three-day summit, the grouping urged Iran to suspend all enrichment-related activities.

"We also urge Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA," the G8 said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said major world powers had decided to send European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana to Iran for talks on an incentives package they offered last month to induce Tehran to change its nuclear policy.

Sarkozy did not say when Solana would travel to Tehran. Iran formally replied on Friday to the offer by the United States, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany.

France said Iran's response had ignored the world powers' demand for a suspension of uranium enrichment before talks on implementing the package - a condition rejected on Monday as "illegitimate" by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

U.S. analyst: Mullen made clear Israel has no 'green light' to attack Iran
A senior U.S. strategic analyst says the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, sent Israel an unequivocal message stating that Israel does not have a "green light" from the U.S. to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

Professor Anthony Cordesman of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies foreign policy think tank is considered a leading researcher in the area of U.S. national security. In the past he served in senior positions in the Defense Department, and was Senator John McCain's National Security Assistant.

Cordesman is visiting Israel this week, and gave a lecture Monday at Tel Aviv University and at Hebrew University on Sunday. He talked about Mullen's comments last week in Washington when the Admiral said such an Israeli attack would be dangerous and could destabilize the Middle East.

Mullen spoke after returning from a visit to Israel, during which he met with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and other senior IDF officers.

Cordesman said Mullen came to Israel to deliver a message that Israel did not have a green light to attack Iran and that it would not receive U.S. support for such a move.

According to Cordesman, Mullen was expressing the official opinion of the U.S. administration, including that of President George W. Bush and the National Security Council.

Mullen said last week that the president, Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff said they are choosing to work for now through diplomatic channels to put pressure on Iran: "The best way to solve it diplomatically is for the United States to work with other nations to send a focused message, and that is that you will be isolated and you
will have economic hardship if you continue trying to enrich," explained Mullen.

Cordesman explained that senior American officers do not make such public statements without permission from the White House.

In his Jerusalem lecture, Cordesman said the U.S. has a plan for a military attack on Iran, but is continuing with diplomatic efforts for now. He estimated that if a change were to be made in the U.S. position on an attack against Iran, it would only be made during the next administration.
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  1.   Mixed Signals 04:12  |  Mark Lincoln 08/07/08
  2.   Mullen does not represent America 04:22  |  Brod 08/07/08
  3.   WHAT ISRAELI GAVE MULLEN THE `GREEN LIGHT` TO PUT IN HIS TWO 05:08  |  glenna 08/07/08
  4.   #2 Brod 05:08  |  Labhras 08/07/08
  5.   Oh shuks, Israel has no choice but to be destroyed 05:23  |  Motke 08/07/08
  6.   #2 Brod, post boy for the zionist mindset 05:25  |  Johnboy 08/07/08
  7.   #3 Vital US interests are at risk, glenna 05:34  |  Johnboy 08/07/08
  8.   Iran Empire 05:45  |  goldberg 08/07/08
  9.   #1 Mark Lincoln 05:50  |  Space 08/07/08
  10.   AIPAC and ZOA will direct American policy 06:02  |  Harold 08/07/08
  11.   To Brod 06:11  |  Don 08/07/08
  12.   Green light indeed 06:15  |  Proud US Neocon 08/07/08
  13.   Maybe the message still isn`t clear enough... 06:35  |  Colin Wright 08/07/08
  14.   green light 06:43  |  Shmuelshachor 08/07/08
  15.   Re Mark Lincoln #1 `mixed signals` 06:43  |  Colin Wright 08/07/08
  16.   Israel will huff and puff and that`s about all 06:50  |  Natallie Durson 08/07/08
  17.   Brod is a Modern Urban II 06:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 08/07/08
  18.   Proud US? Neocon 07:14  |  Mark of Lewiston 08/07/08
  19.   iranian mollahs with atomic ballistic missiles 07:19  |  gil 08/07/08
  20.   green light? 07:25  |  geoff 08/07/08
  21.   Cordesman...FRUSTRATED... 07:28  |  ali 08/07/08
  22.   Do it. Strike them. (IF NOT JUST FOR LABHRAS) 07:32  |  Ruth 08/07/08
  23.   SO Johnboy 07:36  |  geoff 08/07/08
  24.   America has been weakened and continues weakening 07:37  |  Dror 08/07/08
  25.   END OF THE STORY 07:39  |  indrajaya 08/07/08
  26.   give america the big middle finger it deserves! 07:54  |  G-d gave us the 08/07/08
  27.   stop this madness 07:59  |  Ibrahim Shojaie 08/07/08
  28.   Senior Analyst 08:05  |  Dror 08/07/08
  29.   THE AMERICAN EMPIRE IS ABOUT TO CRASH AND BURN! 08:10  |  WARRIOR 08/07/08
  30.   Attacking Iran 08:11  |  Daniel Donaly 08/07/08
  31.   Iran, the biggest danger to the Middle East and to the world. 08:13  |  Jean Van Daem 08/07/08
  32.   Mark Lewinston 18 08:24  |  Tar Pit 08/07/08
  33.   Why go public before an attack ??? 08:34  |  jack 08/07/08
  34.   #12 Neocon..DEAFF and Proud... 09:20  |  ali 08/07/08
  35.   America - such a disappointment 09:26  |  Clickfool 08/07/08
  36.   To Drive Thru Red Lights Night Time Is Costumary In Arab Mideast 09:27  |  Joseph.E 08/07/08
  37.   For Brod # 2 09:30  |  Clickfool 08/07/08
  38.   Go ahead, Jean van Daem # 31 09:37  |  Clickfool 08/07/08
  39.   For the author of # 26 09:42  |  Clickfool 08/07/08
  40.   Question for Ruth # 22 09:45  |  Clickfool 08/07/08
  41.   35 - Clickfool 09:49  |  PlanoStu 08/07/08
  42.   You`re a ridiculous, ignorant man, Dror # 24 09:50  |  Clickfool 08/07/08
  43.   # Glenna. Celebrate diversity. 09:54  |  Maureen Ann 08/07/08
  44.   Glenna betrays America(ns) for the sake of Israel 09:55  |  Guy From NYC 08/07/08
  45.   For PianoStu # 41 10:00  |  Clickfool 08/07/08
  46.   re #26 `give america the big middle finger it deserves!` 10:26  |  Colin Wright 08/07/08
  47.   #23 A sensible question, geoff 10:41  |  Johnboy 08/07/08
  48.   #23 And another sensible question, geoff 10:59  |  Johnboy 08/07/08
  49.   #30 Yes, apparently so, Daniel Donaly 11:11  |  Johnboy 08/07/08
  50.   If Iran can Threaten, why can`t Israel? 11:15  |  Dagma 08/07/08
  51.   Jew hating morons from engladistan have no right to tell anyone 11:15  |  give the USA the 08/07/08
  52.   #2 brod 11:25  |  allan 08/07/08
  53.   Israel capitulates its sovereignty 11:28  |  nuchem 08/07/08
  54.   #23 geoff 11:30  |  allan 08/07/08
  55.   #44 guy from nyc 11:34  |  allan 08/07/08
  56.   To Jean Van Daem # 31 IRAN the biggest danger in the ME.... 11:42  |  Natasha 08/07/08
  57.   #8 goldberg 11:47  |  allan 08/07/08
  58.   Well put Ruth #22, they surely are angry now 11:51  |  Johnny 08/07/08
  59.   American waiver 12:02  |  Gregor 08/07/08
  60.   The price of oil 12:20  |  Gregor 08/07/08
  61.   US fought for Israel? 12:27  |  Gregor 08/07/08
  62.   media show. Its all staged 12:28  |  Jeff 08/07/08
  63.   Israels defence 12:41  |  Dik 08/07/08
  64.   To nechem# 53 - Israel capitulates 12:49  |  Natasha 08/07/08
  65.   #26, G_D gave us, and he took back 12:54  |  VIPER 08/07/08
  66.   Poor Johnny boy..Israel doesnt need rearming 12:59  |  British academic 08/07/08
  67.   iran 12:59  |  louis plattel 08/07/08
  68.   Response to 26 13:00  |  Danalogue 08/07/08