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Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (Reuters)
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Last update - 17:58 11/11/2007
Iranian FM: Israel is no military match for Tehran
By The Associated Press
tags: Israel 

Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Israel poses no military threat to Iran, adding that any aggression on Israel's part would spark retaliation and accusing Israel of trying to sabotage relations between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"The Zionist regime [Israel] is less than nothing to pose any kind of threat to Iran," ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters Sunday when questioned about recent comments on Tehran's nuclear program made by Israeli officials.

It was not clear what Israeli threat Hosseini was referring to, but his statement came as Iran continues to defy international demands that it suspends uranium enrichment, a process that can produce fuel for a nuclear reactor or fissile material for a bomb.
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The United States has said it is pursuing diplomatic angles with Tehran for now, but has not ruled out military action as a way to halt Iran's nuclear enrichment, claiming it is using it as cover for weapons development, a charge Iranians deny.

Israel has said it views Iran as a strong threat, but most analysts think any Israeli military operation is unlikely at this point Hosseini warned Israel not to consider military action. In case it does, it will be faced with unprecedented response from Iran, Hosseini said, without elaborating.

He said Israeli threats were geared at preventing a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear standoff. Israelis many times have raised such things in order to undermine cooperation between Iran and the (UN) International Atomic Energy Agency, he said.

In 1981, Israel bombed a nuclear reactor in Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein from developing nuclear weapons. While Israel neither acknowledges nor denies possessing nuclear arms, it is thought to have about 100-200 nuclear warheads, according to a 2006 report by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Iran said Wednesday it has stepped up uranium enrichment activities by fully running 3,000 centrifuges at its nuclear plant in the central city of Natanz. It would take some 54,000 centrifuges to fuel a reactor.

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      1.   Iran vs Israel 15:13  |  Bobby 11/11/07
      2.   Famous last words 15:17  |  Conroy 11/11/07
      3.   He`s right ,Mazuz&Lefties wouln`t allow any strike on Iran lest 15:26  |  Absolute Sweden 11/11/07
      4.   Mohammad Ali Floats like a bee and stings like a butterfly 15:29  |  B`Galil 11/11/07
      5.   IRAN 15:39  |  Mark 11/11/07
      6.   Two Words for Iran 15:42  |  Erik 11/11/07
      7.   What twaddle 15:43  |  Mark Lincoln 11/11/07
      8.   The strong remains silent, the weak bark. 15:55  |  Fortuna Benmayor 11/11/07
      9.   Israel has never threatned Iran, so why is Iran interested to 15:55  |  A Watch 11/11/07
      10.   THIS GUY HAS SUCH A BIG MOUTH THAT 15:58  |  Robert 11/11/07
      11.   He`s right, Israel is tiny 15:58  |  observer 11/11/07
      12.   Erik of Dallas Texas 16:04  |  Paul Wood 11/11/07
      13.   Erik 16:12  |  Roland 11/11/07
      14.   Iran and Israel similar in one respect 16:12  |  Tom 11/11/07
      15.   #5 Mark 16:15  |  Axel 11/11/07
      16.   Israel Nuke Bombs 16:17  |  David Glassmine 11/11/07
      17.   The fiddler is back. Red Mercury Rising. 16:18  |  Stephen 11/11/07
      18.   AHMADINEJAD ADMITED....... 16:27  |  IL supporter 11/11/07
      19.   he`s right, that`s why we simply have 200+ nukes 16:31  |  don 11/11/07
      20.   # 14 Tom 16:32  |  tbora 11/11/07
      21.   Israel , no match for Iran? 16:35  |  mike 11/11/07
      22.   Remember Lebanon????? 16:35  |  Boyd 11/11/07
      23.   Actually, Although Israel Is Very Small... 16:36  |  Yosemite 11/11/07
      24.   The weak Bark indeed 16:37  |  Black 11/11/07
      25.   Iranian illusions... 16:39  |  Esther 11/11/07
      26.   Iran and Israel 16:40  |  Suzanne Woodward 11/11/07
      27.   Iranian minister a joke 16:40  |  Bjorn 11/11/07
      28.   absolute sweden 16:45  |  eva 11/11/07
      29.   THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH 16:48  |  indrajaya 11/11/07
      30.   thats what the reds said about finland in 1940 16:49  |  victor hardman 11/11/07
      31.   Arabs human rights 16:51  |  Pedro 11/11/07
      32.   Israel`s strength 16:54  |  Sandy 11/11/07
      33.   Who Will The Real Losers Be? 16:55  |  Boyd 11/11/07
      34.   Tom #14 Not an accurate anaology 17:00  |  topanga 11/11/07
      35.   MY CHILDREN, DON`T WORRY,PERSIAN KING`S BIG MOUTHS ONLY HELP YOU) 17:02  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 11/11/07
      36.   Best enemy is a dumb enemy 17:03  |  Johnny 11/11/07
      37.   Here come the rookie war mongers 17:11  |  Garba 11/11/07
      38.   What`s wrong with you Haaretz? 17:18  |  Conroy 11/11/07
      39.   a watch 9 17:23  |  realism 11/11/07
      40.   Mark #5 17:23  |  SBG 11/11/07
      41.   iran 17:29  |  eric 11/11/07
      42.   hmmm 17:30  |  hmmm 11/11/07
      43.   #32 Sandy 17:31  |  tbora 11/11/07
      44.   Israel is no threat to Iran of the Iranians dont start a war 17:32  |  zionist forever 11/11/07
      45.   Iran is no superpower. I.D.F. get to work! 17:32  |  Chaim 11/11/07
      46.   Lack of reality in arab/muslim nations 17:39  |  Bjorn 11/11/07
      47.   #32 Sandy and his God of Israel 17:55  |  Baal 11/11/07
      48.   As soon as Israel might be the fool that... 18:00  |  Dutch Dirk 11/11/07
      49.   Very Interesting 18:15  |  Natallie Durson 11/11/07
      50.   Israel can BIT*HSLAP the $HIT OUT OF YOU !!! 18:20  |  amir 11/11/07
      51.   Israel`s Military 18:21  |  Ron 11/11/07
      52.   indrajaya # 29 It Works Both Ways 18:21  |  Jeff Northridge 11/11/07
      53.   Iranian Kebab Israeli Style! 18:23  |  Lavi 11/11/07
      54.   A Watch, regarding Israeli Threats 18:24  |  Bernie 11/11/07
      55.   Mark Lincoln: Subway to Israel........ 18:28  |  Iranian-American 11/11/07
      56.   Deceptive Conclusions 18:29  |  Scientist 11/11/07
      57.   Another "losing is winning" war like Lebanon 18:37  |  Pablo B 11/11/07
      58.   Hosseini`s Knees Would Knock Uncontrollably And He Would Change.. 18:38  |  Lavi 11/11/07
      59.   #21 mike - fighting to a stalemate 18:50  |  Pablo B 11/11/07
      60.   Iran 19:11  |  siegfried buchwalte 11/11/07
      61.   Iran 19:16  |  siegfried buchwalte 11/11/07
      62.   Iran`s Napolean Complex 19:26  |  Jane 11/11/07
      63.   ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini 19:32  |  Kipperraes 11/11/07
      64.   Do you have a map, Chaim? # 45 19:34  |  Clickfool 11/11/07
      65.   Israel`s idiotic government deserves to be called bluffing, 19:39  |  S 11/11/07
      66.   i am sorry to tell you 19:54  |  Igal 11/11/07
      67.   Chaim #45, Wrong analogy! 20:10  |  Westwell 11/11/07
      68.   Dear MrMottaki, FM are you developing the atomic weapons 20:11  |  Haham me Bat Yam 11/11/07
      69.   He. who can shoot, shoot, do not talk... 20:12  |  3-hah-ha 11/11/07
      70.   #23 Yosemite! Yosemite!! 20:31  |  Westwell 11/11/07
      71.   The Next Iranian Revolution 20:42  |  Ethel 11/11/07
      72.   Israeli first strike 20:48  |  Steve 11/11/07
      73.   Chaim no. 45 20:54  |  Steve 11/11/07
      74.   Persian fanatics 20:59  |  Fussion 11/11/07
      75.   Boyd the personality that starts wars, brings death to masses 21:14  |  Johnny 11/11/07
      76.   No more arguments 21:28  |  Albert Seligman 11/11/07
      77.   Ask Vanunu 21:37  |  natan 11/11/07
      78.   Indrajay 2000 21:41  |  Albert Seligman 11/11/07
      79.   topanga#34 21:56  |  Tom 11/11/07
      80.   if israel is no match for iran then why does iran 22:03  |  judenstat 11/11/07
      81.   Erik 22:05  |  Josh 11/11/07