IRGC Commander: Iran Reserves Right to Determine Scope of Retaliation
News number: 870411121917:41 | 2008-07-01Defence
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8704111219

TEHRAN (FNA)- Enemies of Iran should know that they would face Iranians'
iron fist in case of making any mistake against the country, lieutenant
commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned here on
Monday.

Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi also said that Iran will be the one to
determine the gravity and scope of a military reaction if it comes under
attack.

"The era of hit-and-run is over. Possible beginners of any threat against
Iran should notice that Iran reserves the right to determine the scale and
scope of response to any threat," Hejazi was quoted by the Islamic republic
news agency as saying during an IRGC ceremony in the central city of
Isfahan.

The deputy commander added that Tehran would hold the White House and the US
administration responsible for any threat against Iran.

"Enemies of Iran should know that they would face Iranians' iron fist in
case of making any mistake against the country," Hejazi said. "Iranians
would destroy enemies' glass palace with their fire balls if they even think
of playing with the fate of the Iranian youth.

"The US and its Zionist allay are mired in Afghanistan and Iraq," said the
deputy commander, adding that the US and Zionist regime's threats against
Iran were a result of their "desperation".

Comments by Hejazi and other Iranian commanders followed a recent report by
the New York Times about an Israeli Air Force drill simulating an attack
against the Islamic Republic.

A senior IRGC commander announced on Sunday that Iran would dig 'some
320,000' graves for the bodies of the slain enemy soldiers killed in a
military campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Brigadier General Mir-Faisal Baqerzadeh said that every border province
would dig 15,000 to 20,000 graves.

Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear
weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative document to
substantiate their allegations. Iran vehemently denies the charges,
insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to
provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel
would eventually run dry.

Iran has also insisted that it would continue enriching uranium because it
needs to provide fuel to a 300-megawatt light-water reactor it is building
in the southwestern town of Darkhoveyn as well as its first nuclear power
plant in the southern port city of Bushehr.

Tel Aviv and Washington have recently intensified their threats to launch
military action against Iran to make Tehran drop what they allege to be a
non-peaceful nuclear program, while a recent report by 16 US intelligence
bodies endorsed the civilian nature of Iran's programs.

Following the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and similar reports by
the IAEA head - one in November and the other one in February - which
praised Iran's truthfulness about key aspects of its past nuclear activities
and announced settlement of outstanding issues with Tehran, any effort to
impose further sanctions or launch military attack on Iran seems to be
completely irrational.

The February report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic
Energy Agency, praised Iran's cooperation in clearing up all of the past
questions over its nuclear program, vindicating Iran's nuclear program and
leaving no justification for any new UN sanctions.

Following the said reports by US and international bodies, many world states
have called the UN Security Council pressure against Tehran unjustified,
demanding that Iran's case must be normalized and returned from the UNSC to
the IAEA.

US President George W. Bush finished a tour of the Middle East in winter to
gain the consensus of his Arab allies to unite against Iran.

But hosting officials of the regional nations dismissed Bush's allegations,
describing Tehran as a good friend of their countries.

Bush's attempt to rally international pressure against Iran has lost steam
due to the growing international vigilance, specially following the latest
IAEA and US intelligence reports.