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Iran warns against attack as G8 demands nuclear freeze
Iran warned on Tuesday it would 'set fire' to Israel and US forces in response to any attack over its nuclear drive, as the world's leading industrial powers told Tehran to freeze uranium enrichment.Leaders of the Group of Eight nations at a summit in Japan urged Iran to fully comply with UN Security Council resolutions 'in particular to suspend all enrichment-related activities.' They also urged Tehran to respond positively to a new package by six major powers aimed at bringing an end to the five-year-old nuclear standoff which has led to a string of sanctions against Iran. The United States and its top regional ally Israel have never ruled out military action against Iran over its nuclear drive, which the West fears could be aimed at building an atomic bomb. There has been concern a strike could be imminent after it emerged Israel had carried out manoeuvres in Greece that were effectively practice runs for a potential strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. 'The first US shot on Iran would set the United States' vital interests in the world on fire,' said Ali Shirazi, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to the naval forces of the elite Revolutionary Guards. 'Tel Aviv and the US fleet in the Persian Gulf would be the targets that would be set on fire in Iran's crushing response,' he said, according to the Fars news agency. Washington shrugged off the threat. 'Comments like that are not out of the norm and not unusual,' State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said, adding: 'We continue to stress our desire to resolve this issue diplomatically... continue with the process.' Posted by: Fred 2008-07-09 |
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