Iran says World War III may erupt if attacked by Israel
TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) --
Iran says on Sunday that the World War III may erupt if the Islamic republic is attacked by Israel.
Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Division of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) , warned on Sunday that an Israeli strike on Iran could trigger the World War III, Press TV reported.
Israel, threatening to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities these days, has always been highly concerned over Iran's nuclear program, which is believed by the West to head for acquiring nuclear weapons under the cover of civilian purposes.
Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, and warned that it will retaliate if it comes under attack.
Hajizadeh said in case of the eruption of such a war against Iran, the situation would be out of control, according to Press TV.
"This war is likely to degenerate into the World War III," Hajizadeh said, adding that it means some countries might enter the war in favor of or against Iran.
"We see the United States and the Zionist regime (of Israel) alongside one another and we can by no means imagine that the Zionist regime would initiate a war (against Iran) without the U.S. support," he was quoted as saying.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the U.S. bases in the region as part of American soil and will definitely target them if a war breaks out," he added.
On Saturday, Iran's Commander of the IRGC, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said that a war on Iran "will eventually happen," Press TV reported.
"War will happen but it is not clear where and when," Jafari said, adding that Iran is ready to confront any possible strike against the country.
The Israeli officials currently consider war as the only way to confront Iran, he claimed, insisting that if they begin a war, it will spell their destruction and will be the end of their adventure.
The Iranian commander said that the armed forces of the Islamic republic enjoy capabilities and equipment in hardware and software fields, according to the report.
Also, Hossein Salami, another IRGC commander, reiterated the remarks by Jafari on Sunday that "Iran will obliterate the Zionist regime if the latter takes any action against Iran," the official IRNA news agency reported.
Salami said Iran does not initiate war against any country but in case it is attacked by any country it will never stop its counterattack till the annihilation of the enemy.
Also on Sunday, Press TV reported that Iran's Air Force plans to hold a massive military maneuver in the southern parts of the country by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 2013).
"Maneuvers to be carried out by Iran are peaceful and indicate that Iran and regional countries are capable of safeguarding their security," Deputy Commander of Iran's Air Force, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, was quoted as saying.
Nasirzadeh said that the presence of non-regional powers in the Persian Gulf is "illegitimate" and emphasized that there is no necessity for such a presence.
Non-regional powers cannot provide regional states with security, he said, adding that the countries in the region can ensure their security if they cooperate with each other.
According to IRNA, IRGC will also hold a 15,000-man maneuver in Shahr-e-Rey district of Tehran city for two days from September 27- 28.
IRGC Commander in charge of the operations, General Nasiri told IRNA that the exercises aim to raise combat readiness of the ground forces.
Nasiri said that the troops will conduct shooting, night war, relief and rescue operations, said the report.
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Iran: If attacked by Israel, we'll target U.S.
(AP) TEHRAN, Iran -
A senior commander in Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard warned that Iran will target U.S. bases in the region in the event of war with Israel, raising the prospect of a broader conflict that would force other countries to get involved, Iranian state television reported Sunday.
The comments by Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who heads the Guard's aerospace division, came amid tension over
Iran's nuclear program and Israel's suggestion that it might unilaterally strike Iranian nuclear facilities to scuttle what the United States and its allies believe are efforts to build a bomb. Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Hajizadeh said no Israeli attack can happen without the support of its most important ally, the United States, making all U.S. military bases a legitimate target.
"For this reason,
we will enter a confrontation with both parties and will definitely be at war with American bases should a war break out," Hajizadeh said in remarks that were posted on the website of Iran's state Al-Alam TV. U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Qatar and Afghanistan would be targeted, he said.
"There will be no neutral country in the region," Hajizadeh said. "To us, these bases are equal to U.S. soil."
The U.S. Fifth fleet is based in Bahrain and the U.S. has a heavy military presence in Afghanistan.
The
Iranian warning appears an attempt to reinforce the potential wider consequences of an attack by Israel. The message is not only intended for Washington, but to its Gulf Arab allies that are fearful of a regional conflict that could disrupt oil shipment and cripple business hubs in places such as Dubai and Qatar's capital Doha.
It also comes during a major show of naval power in the Gulf by U.S.-led forces taking part in military exercises, including mine-sweeping drills.
The U.S. Navy claims the maneuvers are not directly aimed at Iran, but the West and its regional allies have made clear they would react against attempts by Tehran to carry out threats to try to close critical Gulf oil shipping lanes in retaliation for tighter sanctions.
Despite Israeli hints of a military strike, Iran's military commanders believe Israel is unlikely to take unilateral action against Iran. The Guard's top commander, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, said last week that Iran believes the United States won't attack Iran because its military bases in the Middle East are within the range of Iran's missiles.
Iran has also warned that oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz will be in jeopardy if a war breaks out between Iran and the United States. Iranian officials had previously threatened to close the waterway, the route for a fifth of the world's oil, if there is war.
Israel believes that any attack on Iran would likely unleash retaliation in the form of Iranian missiles as well as rocket attacks by Iranian proxies Hezbollah and Hamas on its northern and southern borders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says international diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions against Iran have failed to deter its nuclear ambitions, and he has urged President Barack Obama to declare "red lines" that would trigger an American attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, coupling his appeals with veiled threats of an Israeli attack.
President Obama has rejected these calls, saying diplomacy and U.S.-led sanctions must be given more time and that Iran will never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. American officials have pressed Israel not to attack Iran unilaterally, a move that could set off regional mayhem just ahead of the November election.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is currently in New York to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly and could seek to use his speech and meetings later this week to highlight the possible risks — including sharply higher oil prices — if military action is taken.
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