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Last update - 17:12 12/07/2008
Senior Tehran official: Iran would destroy Israel if attacked
By Yoav Stern, Mazal Mualem and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents, and Reuters
Tags: Iran, Israel, Arab state 

Iran would destroy Israel and 32 U.S. military bases in the Middle East if the Islamic Republic was attacked over its disputed nuclear program, a senior official was quoted as saying on Saturday.

"The U.S. knows full well that with the smallest move against Iran, Israel and 32 U.S. military bases in the region would not be out of the reach of our missiles and would be destroyed," the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted Mojtaba Zolnour as saying.

Zolnour is the deputy of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.
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Meanwhile, official representatives of an Arab country have hinted in meetings with Israeli officials that they would not oppose an Israeli military operation against Iran, sources in Jerusalem said this week.

According to the sources, the representatives of the Arab country said they are worried by Iran's growing influence in the region, primarily among Shi'ite communities in Arab states.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak hinted Thursday that Israel would be willing to attack Iran when he said that "Israel is the strongest country in the region and has proved in the past that it is not deterred from activity when there is concern that its vital interests could be harmed."

The representatives told the Israeli officials that other Arab countries are also troubled by Iran's policy. Some Arab states are afraid that Iran's growing power will create a rift between Sunnis and Shi'ites. That concern is especially rife in Arab countries with a Shi'ite minority.

Political sources in Israel told Haaretz that Iran's increasingly belligerent statements have worried the Gulf states, which want American protection against Tehran. "If this is how Iran threatens when it doesn't have nuclear weapons, what will it do when its nuclear program ripens?" one Israeli source said.

Addressing the Iranian issue during a Labor Party meeting in Tel Aviv on Thursday, Barak said that "at the moment the focus is on international sanctions and intensive diplomatic activity, and these channels have to be exhausted."

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      1.   Time to ACCEPT ISRAEL! 09:27  |  Jeff 11/07/08
      2.   Of course not, so they can blame the Jews 10:26  |  Tulip 11/07/08
      3.   Thanks alot! 10:28  |  Shtarka 11/07/08
      4.   Time for revolution against America puppets 10:33  |  Human 11/07/08
      5.   Will not oppose strike on Iran. 10:40  |  David Nigel Braham 11/07/08
      6.   Are the Gulf states willing to make peace with Israel in... 10:51  |  Jean Van Daem 11/07/08
      7.   jeff 11:04  |  japanwala 11/07/08
      8.   Muslim Unity 11:04  |  Mickey Reid 11/07/08
      9.   An attack on Iran would 11:14  |  Natallie Durson 11/07/08
      10.   Arab regimes act against the wishes of the people 12:05  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 11/07/08
      11.   Natallie, an attack on Iran would... 12:41  |  Tulip 11/07/08
      12.   #10 What is so wrong in admiting that you afraid of Iran? 12:55  |  Ulf 11/07/08
      13.   Even if this report is true,and it is not certain that Arab 12:59  |  lakshmi 11/07/08
      14.   Today`s jackpot is already hit at 12:55 by Ulf 13:03  |  Tulip 11/07/08
      15.   Setting up Isreal as the fall guy 13:35  |  Mike 11/07/08
      16.   *12 Ulf you need to see it for what it is 13:58  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 11/07/08
      17.   This story is rubbish. AND we`ve already had it before. 14:09  |  Michael 11/07/08
      18.   #4 "Human" - Good thing you wrote "Jews" 14:26  |  Yonatan 11/07/08
      19.   By Golly N. Durson=Old Ben Gurion 14:34  |  Human (real one) 11/07/08
      20.   What Haaretz is not saying 14:45  |  Mark B. 11/07/08
      21.   I recommend this Arab country to think twice 14:46  |  Lebanese in Canada 11/07/08
      22.   @11 Tulip 14:47  |  Mark B. 11/07/08
      23.   @11 Tulip 14:47  |  Mark B. 11/07/08
      24.   Arab state tells Iran it won`t oppose a retal strike against Isra 14:56  |  Aounist 11/07/08
      25.   The regime of th Arab country (which I suppose it`s Saudi Arabia) 14:57  |  Lebanese in Canada 11/07/08
      26.   Michael UK and a bucket of ice water 14:59  |  x-ray 11/07/08
      27.   So the arab states accept, now rest the antisemites and 15:11  |  JP 11/07/08
      28.   last resort 15:15  |  bashar 11/07/08
      29.   #17, Michael: You`ve just proved.. 15:20  |  Ben Yerushalim 11/07/08
      30.   Arab states, stop being hypocrites. Have your pilots help. 15:51  |  Chaim 11/07/08
      31.   Mark B. from Amsterdam, are you good at numbers? 16:08  |  Tulip 11/07/08
      32.   Who cares about what Arab States think! 16:17  |  MiddleStanian 11/07/08
      33.   Israel anti missile shield covers Gulf States. 16:29  |  Stephen. 11/07/08
      34.   Arab states now know who the BOSS 16:33  |  Rafael 11/07/08
      35.   All of a sudden the US and the Saudis will stand behind Israel if 16:45  |  David Turner 11/07/08
      36.   That Arab State wants its Oil Fields Out of Action, NOT! 16:54  |  Monitor 11/07/08
      37.   Lebanese in Canada 16:58  |  KT 11/07/08
      38.   OLD News, here is the Up To Date NEWS 17:05  |  Gil 11/07/08
      39.   #13. Lakshmi. Are you so certain.....? 17:09  |  Stephen. 11/07/08
      40.   DAH!LIKE THE US AND ISRAELI PEOPLE NEEDED TO BE TOLD THIS TRUTH! 17:27  |  glenna 11/07/08
      41.   The misunderstandig about Israel and the Talmud 17:39  |  Tulip 11/07/08
      42.   A stitch in time saves nine,strike now,not later 17:43  |  Pakistaniwallah 11/07/08
      43.   This country must be Jordan 17:46  |  Genuine Tosefta 11/07/08
      44.   Of course the Saudis encourage the Jews to attack Iran! 17:53  |  David Turner 11/07/08
      45.   Chaim do not put your hopes up too much. Arabs are suicidal 17:53  |  Genuine Tosefta 11/07/08
      46.   #21 - Lebanese in Canada 17:55  |  Maurice 11/07/08
      47.   MiddleStupidian 17:59  |  Genuine Tosefta 11/07/08
      48.   Its called let our enemies fight each other 18:00  |  Arab 11/07/08
      49.   IT MUST BE SAUDI ARABIA? OR MAY BE EGYPT OR JORDAN 18:00  |  JACKAL 11/07/08
      50.   #20 Mark B...I watch you as you mature into 18:13  |  Lynn 11/07/08
      51.   no arab state will complain 18:14  |  frenz 11/07/08
      52.   Enough Of The BS Israel 18:26  |  Cool B 11/07/08
      53.   Of course oil produces love the idea = more money to them 18:31  |  Petteri 11/07/08
      54.   This story seems to have upset some talkbackers 18:32  |  Realist 11/07/08
      55.   #1 Jeff from Atlanta 18:47  |  Said 11/07/08
      56.   Abu Firas 16 respectfuly I disagree,The Arab populus is divided, 18:58  |  Simon 11/07/08
      57.   lenanese in Canada, the answer to your question 19:10  |  Lebanese Druze 11/07/08
      58.   re 9 Natty D`s vision 19:12  |  Alan the real one 11/07/08
      59.   the devil Arabs 19:14  |  Nima 11/07/08
      60.   re 18 Who is behind the mask 19:17  |  Alan the real one 11/07/08
      61.   Everyone wins in the Middle East except Israel 19:34  |  Jeremy 11/07/08
      62.   Chaim - Arabs are hypocrites 19:34  |  Anti-Arab 11/07/08
      63.   Arabs Stand by Iran 19:45  |  Anti-Zionist 11/07/08
      64.   Israelis are loser 19:52  |  joe joe 11/07/08
      65.   A coalition of Thugs 20:03  |  Jeff 11/07/08
      66.   WELL IT DID NOT TAKE A BRAIN SURGEON OR ROCKET SCIENTIST TO ... 20:27  |  glenna 11/07/08
      67.   #20 What Mark B. is saying 20:32  |  Yonatan 11/07/08
      68.   sounds like a trick - two birds & 1 stone 20:37  |  ross 11/07/08
      69.   #36 yes joe joe 20:40  |  Yonatan 11/07/08
      70.   #4 Human..."Jewish Talmudic Empire" 20:57  |  Jabotinsky 11/07/08
      71.   From a Arab Gulf St