A senior Iranian military official warned the United States against launching any attack on the Islamic Republic, a news agency reported on Monday, two days after the United Nations imposed new sanctions on Iran.

"If America starts a war against Iran, it won't be the one who finishes it," Morteza Saffari, naval forces commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.

"Our people will not even allow one American soldier to enter our country," Saffari said.

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International tension over Iran's disputed nuclear program
has risen in recent days, sending oil and gold prices higher. The West suspects Iran is seeking to make atom bombs, a charge Tehran denies.

Iran said on Sunday it would limit cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog and vowed not to halt its atomic
program "even for one second" after the Security Council voted to impose new arms and financial sanctions on Tehran.

On Friday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized 15 British navy personnel in the Gulf, sparking a diplomatic crisis.

The United States, which is leading efforts to isolate Iran over its nuclear ambitions, has said it prefers a diplomatic solution to the crisis but has not ruled out military options.

"We have the spirit of resistance and this is a factor to stop [them] Saffari said. "Our nation's unity and martyrdom-seeking spirit with God's help is always a guarantee for the Islamic Iran's resistance."

Iran to grant access to British detainees
Iran will grant British diplomats access to the 15 British detainees in Tehran, state-television IRIB reported Monday.

The British detainees had reportedly been held so far in a secret place where even British diplomats had no access. IRIB further quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as denying speculations over Iran's intention to exchange the British detainees with Iranian diplomats arrested by the United States in Iraq.

Mottaki further said in a press conference in New York that the charge against the British sailors arrested in Iran is illegal entry into Iranian waters. Some press reports had said the marines would be charged with espionage. Mottaki added that the issue is being currently under legal examination without giving any further details.

Foreign Ministry General Director Rahim Pour had on Sunday told British Ambassador to Tehran, Geoffrey Adams, that all 15 British detainees in Tehran were in good health.

The Iranian official added that despite the Persian New Year holidays (until April 2), relevant Iranian officials were following the issue. He added that Iran has constantly tried to show restraint in border conflicts but "violation [of Iranian territory] and contradictory remarks by relevant British officials have caused some reactions within [Iranian] people and officials."

"Therefore, such suspicious moves require accurate and documented investigations," the Foreign Ministry official said. The tone from Tehran on Sunday was considered by observers as softer than in the first 48 hours following the arrest of the British service people in the Persian Gulf, indicating that Iran was looking for a way to settle the issue without further escalating the crisis.

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