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Iran Will Go to War If Necessary, Says Khamenei
 Iran is not seeking to enter a war over its controversial nuclear program but would be "fully ready" for military conflict if it was forced, the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday. "We are not like the United States," said Khamenei in a televised speech to mark the first day of the Persian new year. "We are not seeking to enter any war, but if we have to, then we would be fully ready."Khamenei was referring to recent remarks by US officials including President George W. Bush, who said they "did not rule out" the possibility of military action if Iran refused to comply with international demands regarding its nuclear program. "In case of a military strike, all Iranian leaders and officials would be in the front line of the defense," Khamenei said. Khamenei called Washington's claims that Iran is developing nuclear weapons a "fairytale" and said the US was trying to hinder Iran's progress in the nuclear technology field. Khamenei urged officials to press on with nuclear work and take no heed of US allegations Tehran is seeking a nuclear weapon. "I advise the officials not to pay attention to the enemies' threats and to go their own way, doing their job," Khamenei said. "Americans know well producing an atomic bomb in Iran is a myth and there is absolutely no truth to that," he said. "We are not seeking atomic bombs as Islam does not allow us to confront even our enemies like that." Posted by: Fred 2005-03-22 |
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