Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran Supreme Leader, Warns Israel, United States

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's supreme leader on Thursday warned Israel and the United States that Tehran's response will be tough should its archenemies choose a military strike against Iran over the country's controversial nuclear program.

"Anybody who takes up the idea of an attack on Iran, should get ready to receive a strong slap and an iron fist" by the Iranian armed forces, said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei spoke two days after the U.N. atomic agency released a report that for the first time said Iran is suspected of conducting secret experiments whose sole purpose is the development of nuclear arms.

The report was the International Atomic Energy Agency's most unequivocal yet in suggesting Iran is using the cover of a peaceful nuclear program to produce atomic weaponry. Iran insists it is pursuing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed the IAEA report, defiantly saying Tehran would not retreat "an iota" from its nuclear program, which includes enriching uranium – a potential path to making a nuclear bomb.

The U.S. and its allies are concerned that a nuclear-armed Iran could touch off a nuclear arms race among rival states, including Saudi Arabia, and directly threaten Israel. Four rounds of U.N. sanctions so far have not succeeded in getting Tehran to halt its enrichment program.

Israel sees Iran as an existential threat, citing Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel's destruction and Iran's support for Arab militant groups. Ahead of the IAEA report's release on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak had said that without effective sanctions, Israel would not take any option "off the table," a reference to possible military action.

Khamenei's rhetoric Thursday was just as defiant – an indication that Iran is seriously viewing comments by the West in the aftermath of the IAEA report and in particular, by Israel on a possible military strike against its nuclear facilities.

"The enemies, particularly the United States and its pawns and the Zionist regime, should know that the Iranian nation does not seek to invade any country or nation," Khamenei said, addressing officers at a military academy in Tehran.

"But Iran will strongly respond to any invasion or attack with such power and in a way that the aggressors and invaders will be smashed from the inside," said Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters in Iran. His remarks were quoted by state radio.

"The Iranian nation is not a nation that only sits and watches threats coming from straw powers, which are internally eaten by worms," he added.

Comments

[Scottishnproud]

01:53 PM on 11/15/2011

What freedom do the Muslims in surroundin­g areas have

Speech nope
Assembly nope
Women's right nope
Gay rights nope
Free judiciary nope
Free press nope
Freedom of religion nope

ALL FREELY AVAILABLE IN ISRAEL”

[dougsabbag]

04:09 PM on 11/15/2011

"All Freely available in Israel" ONLY TO "ISRAELIS", which does NOT include their VICTIMS, the REFUGEES.

Scotty, why are you trying to make religious comparisons, i.e., "What freedom do the Muslims in surroundin­­g areas have" ???????

Muslim is your reference to the Islamic religion.
Who and what are you debating about Muslims?????

[Scottishnproud]

04:30 PM on 11/15/2011

The refugees are the responsibility of the Arabist NOT the Jews!

[dougsabbag]

07:00 PM on 11/15/2011

Again an entirely FALSE statement. Are you incapable of voicing the TRUTH?

[dougsabbag]

04:12 PM on 11/15/2011

AND, Scotty, actually you brought up a "sore point" of Israeli laws.... Muslims (or non-Jews), do NOT have the same rights as Jews in Israel.

[Scottishnproud]

04:29 PM on 11/15/2011

Muslims in Muslim countries have FAR LESS rights than they have in Israel Pally.

State the difference for the record then

[dougsabbag]

06:52 PM on 11/15/2011

I will no longer respond to Scottishnproud since he is incapable of holding a civil and valid discussion.

[dougsabbag]

12:22 AM on 11/13/2011

What is the problem with Iran having nuclear weapons? We looked the other way as Israel stockpiles nuclear weapons; and Israel is a much more violent, oppressive, dangerous nation than Iran could ever hope to be.
I suppose it just depends on who is paying our "leaders" the most money whose side we are on.
And obviously the Iranians are not paying anywhere near as much as AIPAC is.
So, we look the other way on Israeli nuclear weapons, and freak out on Iran doing the same thing.
When will we do what is best for US, instead of what Israel wants us to do for them?

[niumarmion]

07:59 PM on 11/12/2011

Iran can deny the Holocaust, but why threaten a small nation struggling for survival after 6M of their people were exterminated in the 1940s? It might be a dangerous thing to do if that nation has 300 war heads. That nation is not a threat to Iran. So why make existential threats?

[dougsabbag]

12:06 AM on 11/13/2011

Because........ that "small nation" has been killing civilian men women and children who that "small nation" has forced into being refugees by stealing their homes and land.
That "small nation" has massacred 100 times more civilians than Syria.
That "small nation" has managed to oppress, abuse, and murder civilians for over 70 years and STILL can count America as its ally.
That "small nation" is the MOST dangerous nation on earth.

[Naor]

04:16 PM on 11/14/2011

That "small nation" has massacred 100 times more civilians than Syria.

Proof for your antisemitic junk?

[A Jew with a View]

01:06 AM on 11/12/2011

Iran and its supporters e.g. Hamas encourage thier followers to commit suicide in order to kill as many as their "enemies" as possible. For them, the means justify the ends. So for those who believe that Iran knows that it would be suicide for them to attack Israel with an nuclear weapon, what makes you think that would discourage them?

[NiteSun]

04:57 PM on 11/11/2011

Paparatzzi in Iran:
Get ready for the coverage of pulling the rat out of the hole!

[fat man little boy]

04:08 PM on 11/11/2011

Iran has been on our "axis of evil" list for 10+years and thats far to long!!! Time to do something about it before Israel has a 911!!!

[The Mighty Cynic]

03:30 PM on 11/11/2011

"Anybody who takes up the idea of an attack on Iran, should get ready to receive a strong slap and an iron fist"

Yep, it's true. And we would deserve it upside our heads. Only spoiled little children don't admit the consequences of their actions. There is an old Persian proverb that goes, "The emptiest vessels shake the most". Meaning, in a row of wooden containers, for example, the empty one would have the most propensity to shake around, not being weighted down with anything of substance. Israel is that empty container. They have been shouting their intentions from the rooftops for over ten years now, extorting the West for arms and money, and stigmatizing Iran and the rest with their control of Western media.

If there's a homeland for these virulent individuals, why are they hijacking and ruining all of ours?

[anton123]

04:51 PM on 11/11/2011

May be ayatollahs should apply same proverb to themselves too?
And to stop depress their own people? And stop threaten other countries?
Did not occurred to you? Too busy bashing Israel? As always...

[The Mighty Cynic]

10:46 AM on 11/14/2011

They don't threaten other countries; mind your own business. You're too busy defending apartheid and a black stain in the history of mankind.

[nk5otr]

07:46 PM on 11/12/2011

What proof do you have that Israel "controls the Western media"?

Who are the "virulent individuals"?

[dougsabbag]

12:10 AM on 11/13/2011

What proof do you have that they don't?

[abhorson]

03:10 PM on 11/11/2011

I take this guy SERIOUSLY ... just to show, I bet my friend today, if Israel wipes out their nuclear installations I will push a peanut with my nose all the way down the bar ....

[any mouse]

02:25 AM on 11/12/2011

If Iran is attacked you will be too busy trying to stay alive to be pushing any peanuts around.

[abhorson]

05:38 AM on 11/12/2011

you have a gift for making me laugh... and it's not the first time...

there's no "if" ... just a betting pool for when ...

[catboycolo]

03:05 PM on 11/11/2011

The people of Iran are overwhelmingly in favor of peace, but they are controlled by a warmongering government. There will be no nuclear attack if we can stop them from developing the weapons.

[any mouse]

02:26 AM on 11/12/2011

There is nothing the US can do if Iran decides to develop nuclear weapons.

[Jack Garbuz]

11:32 AM on 11/12/2011

There is nothing the US can do if Cuba decides to develop nuclear weapons. There was nothing the US could do when Israel decided to develop nuclear weapons. If a country feels it really has the need for them, and has the technological resources and knowhow, no one can be stopped EXCEPT by a major nuclear attack! The question is, who really needs them and who really doesn't. And why do they need them? Is it for defense or offense? Is it being threatened to be wiped out, or does it want them to threaten others? And then there is the treaty. Did they sign the NPT, or did they not? Will they respect the treaty, or not?

[dougsabbag]

12:16 AM on 11/13/2011

Why didn't we stop Israel from having nuclear weapons? Why is it OK for Israel to have them but not Iran.
Israel has murdered a lot more civilians than Iran. Israel was created by terrorists, (the Irgun, the Stern Gang, the Hagganah), and is the largest example of a successful terrorist campaign.
Israel continues to oppress millions of people, bulldoze their homes, blockade hundreds of thousands of people into a small area, steal their land, and allow their "settlers" to harrass, destroy property and even murder Palestinians without restrictions.
Israel attacked an American ship, the USS Liberty, repeatedly for hours, killing numerous American sailors.
Yet, we look the other way while Israel breaks the same exact rules which we are calling Iran on for breaking. If it is good for the Goose, it is good for the Gander.....

[catboycolo]

12:49 AM on 11/13/2011

You just hate jews, and all you have are your anti-semitic talking points.

[dougsabbag]

11:41 AM on 11/13/2011

Well, I sure don't like a country (no matter what religion the people practice) which kills people, oppresses people, abuses people, etc., in order to steal their land.
Do YOU like people who do that? REALLY!?

[catboycolo]

03:00 PM on 11/11/2011

I remember a similar threat from SoDamn before the the first gulf war. Something about the mother of all battles? We must stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

[Aaron Kirchmann]

02:43 PM on 11/11/2011

I literally squirted Orange Crush out of my nose when I read this. It is like the little chihuahua trying to goad the massive pit-bull in its yard into a fight. Iran is using empty threats and intimidation to try to push around the US and Israel. Iran is all talk and no bite. I would suggest that the US and Israel just ignore them. It won't make him go away, but it would go a long way to proving to the world that we are not a hot headed people who just jump into war for no reason. On the other hand, they are banking on us not responding, so he can point to us and say to his people "Look, they are a toothless tiger and weak".

[Dev Saha]

02:28 PM on 11/11/2011

Iran need to be stopped at any cost! An atom bomb in the hands of ayatollahs will change the world forever. It will be handed over to Hizbollah of Lebanon and all bets will be off.

[fat man little boy]

01:33 PM on 11/11/2011

I can't wait to see the stupied,dumb,jackassed look on Ayatollah's face when we pull him out of his rat hole like we did Saddam!

[Manfarang]

06:10 AM on 11/12/2011

You might have to wait a long time. Remember Saddam fought an eight year war with Iran when he was backed by the West.

[Daniel Alman]

12:54 PM on 11/11/2011

Any military stike against israel will only hurt both sides. 80% of all religions have ties to sites in israel and most likely many nations including saudi arabia and turkey will be in a state of tatal war against iran.

My message to iran: Watchout.

[tbot48]

12:53 PM on 11/11/2011

The sounds of a blind little dog barking at the rest of the world, unaware he is annoying at best and in danger of ruleing his porch from a smoking hole in the ground...