Iran Warns Of “Painful” Response If Israel Attacks
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran’s defense minister was quoted on Tuesday as warning Israel of a “very painful” response if it launched a military strike over the Islamic Republic’s disputed nuclear program.
On Friday, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told an Israeli newspaper an attack on Iran looked “unavoidable” given the apparent failure of United Nations sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential.
“Our armed forces are at the height of their readiness and if anyone should want to undertake such a foolish job the response would be very painful,” the state Iran daily quoted Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar as saying.
Some Israeli political commentators have accused Mofaz, whose comments helped drive up oil prices to a record $139 a barrel on Friday, of making them to advance his personal political ambitions.
In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asked ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday to refrain from discussing sensitive matters publicly, officials said.
Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, has described Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to its existence. Olmert last week said it must be stopped by “all possible means.”
Iran does not recognize Israel and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is regularly predicting its demise.
The United States, which is leading efforts to isolate Tehran over nuclear work the West fears is aimed at making bombs, says it wants a diplomatic solution to the row but has not ruled out military action if that were to fail.
Israel bombed an Iraqi reactor in 1981 and an Israeli air raid on Syria last September razed what the United States said was a nascent nuclear reactor built with North Korean help. Syria denied having any such facility.
But many analysts say Iran’s nuclear sites are too numerous, distant and fortified for Israel to take on alone.
“Israel cannot do it on its own,” London-based defense analyst Andrew Brookes told Reuters. “It is beyond the capability of the Israeli air force to do it because of the distance involved and the dispersed nature of all the sites.”
“The only way it can be done is with the full assistance of the United States,” said Brookes of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think-tank.
Iran, which says its nuclear work is solely for generating electricity, has threatened to retaliate if it is attacked.
Its Shahab-3 missile, with a range of 2,000 km (1,250 miles), is capable of hitting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, Iranian officials say.
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A massive, crippling strike is in order ASAP. Government decapitation and all known facilities involved in production that could in any way be associated with military usage.
Glass it all, tactical nukes, conventional, whatever is needed.
It is past the time to quit playing one sided diplomacy.
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Can’t afford gas now, so who cares what happens to the price of crude after the strike.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:33 amI am not afraid or scared of Iran in anyway.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:38 amIsrael has subs to shit head
June 10th, 2008 at 7:33 amI’m not sure what would happen to the price of crude when Israel attacks. We do not import any Iranian oil but it would probably still triple. On the other hand, who cares, smoke those Nazi bastards once and for all. Iran doesn’t have what it takes for “Painful” response. What are they gonna fly Chinooks that they don’t have parts for into Jerusalem and take a leak in the temple?
June 10th, 2008 at 7:33 amThe interesting thing is that Israel may only have a nuclear option. Their aircraft can’t reach all the Iranian sites, which leaves them with subs. Their subs only fire cruise missiles, which won’t do the job on buried sites with conventional warheads alone. So…. what do they do? Probably start with comments like Mofaz’, putting the europeans on notice that a pre-emptive nuclear strike is on the table unless they find a way to turn off Iran’s nuke program. From there….?
June 10th, 2008 at 8:17 amIf Iran tried to build nukes the slightest bit, they will be bombed back to the 16th century. I highly doubt we are turning our heads from them…I’m sure we are spying on them from space every day.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:19 amIsrael has no 2nd strike nuclear policy, A’jad will meet his isotopic fate soon enough and he wont be around to realize it when he does. He’ll be an atomic shadow on his potty floor and a plaque will read “Here once shat an Islamic madman with shite for brains whose very last act of shagging a goat is now captured for eternity by thermal nuclear rays. This is what happens to crazed goat-fucking falafel-eating mullah lovin raghead despots with a death wish.
The faint shadowy figure in the corner of the room that appears to be raising a large adult diaper in a show of surrender is none other than - Jimmah Carter. That is what happens to old farts who prefer the companionship of tyrants to the sunshine of FL.”
June 10th, 2008 at 8:49 amHow painful would Iran make it for them if they know they could be looking at 3 or 4 Megatons of missiles heading back in a tit-for-tat counterstrike?
June 10th, 2008 at 9:15 amKind of hard to divy out pain Stinky Whackjob when you’re dead and your whole military has just been vaporized.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:25 am