THE commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned yesterday that if his country is attacked, Tehran would strike back by hitting Israel with missiles and controlling a key oil passageway in the Persian Gulf.
The hardline comments by General Mohammad Ali Jafari raised tensions in the area following the disclosure last week of a recent Israeli military exercise over the Mediterranean Sea that was seen as sending a message to Iran to curb its nuclear am
bitions.
Jafari insisted there were strong deterrents against striking Iran, including the country's missile power, the vulnerability of Israeli and US forces in the region and the low probability of a successful attack.
Iran has spread its nuclear facilities across the large country and has built key portions underground to protect it from possible air strikes.
Last week, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad again underlined his government's intention to progress its nuclear strategy. Jafari warned that if attacked, Iran would strike back, including choking off the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow outlet for oil tankers leaving the Persian Gulf.
"Naturally, any country coming under attack will use all of its capacity and opportunities to confront the enemy. Given the main route for energy to exit the region, one of Iran's steps will be to exercise control on the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz," Jafari said.
In 2006, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also threatened to disrupt the world's oil supply if the US attacked Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer. About 60% of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Should a confrontation erupt between us... oil prices will dramatically increase. This is one of the factors deterring the enemy from taking military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran," Jafari said.
US officials have suggested that the Israeli drill, conducted from May 28 to June 12, was a dress rehearsal for an Israeli strike. But the Greek government, which took part in the exercise, rejected that assessment. Some observers have said the disclosure of the manoeuvres was aimed at getting the international community to step up pressure on Iran.
Just before the drill, Europe presented Tehran an offer of economic incentives to halt its enrichment of uranium. Iran has not formally responded.
Less than a week ago, the European Union named Iran's largest commercial bank, the chief of the Revolutionary Guards and the head of the country's nuclear programme as the targets of new sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear defiance.
The US and Israel say Iran's nuclear programme is intended to produce weapons – which Iran denies, saying its programme is for peaceful purposes, including producing energy. Israel has a doctrine of 'nuclear ambiguity' and has never confirmed or denied having its own nuclear weapons programme.
Jafari also warned that an attack against Iran will prompt Muslims, including Shi'ites, to harm US and Israeli interests throughout the Middle East in retaliation.
The full article contains 491 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
