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A photo released by Iran claiming to show the launch of an of a medium-range missile during a drill in September.
 (AP)
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Last update - 20:02 08/12/2009
Iran cleric: We'll hit 'heart of Tel Aviv' if attacked
By Reuters
Tags: Haaretz TV, Iran nuclear 
 

A senior Iranian cleric warned on Saturday that the Islamic Republic would fire missiles at Tel Aviv if attacked, shortly after Iran's military announced it would begin large-scale drills on Sunday to help protect its nuclear facilities.

"If the enemy should want to test its bad luck in Iran, before the dust from its missiles settles in this country, Iran's ballistic missiles would land in the heart of Tel Aviv," said cleric Mojtaba Zolnour, the IRNA news agency reported.

Zalnour is a deputy of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative in the Revolutionary Guards, which will be staging the defence drills together with the regular armed forces.
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The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the row over Iranian nuclear work that the West suspects is aimed at making bombs.

Iran, which insists its nuclear program is solely to generate electricity, has also threatened in the past to hit back at Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf if it is attacked.

The war games are due to last five days, Iranian media quoted Brigadier General Ahmad Mighani as saying.

The officer also suggested Iran could itself produce an advanced missile defense system that Russia has so far failed to deliver to the Islamic Republic and which Washington and Israel do not want Tehran to have.

The official IRNA news agency said the exercises would take place in western Iran and that they would be "huge."

Iran believes Russia's delay in supplying high-grade S-300 missiles was due to pressure by Israel, not technical problems as cited by Moscow, Mighani said.

"We are hopeful the Russians will ignore the pressure of the Zionist lobby," Fars News Agency quoted him as saying on Saturday. Iran refers to Israel as the "Zionist regime."

The military maneuvers will involve both the elite Revolutionary Guards and the regular armed forces against a hypothetical enemy, Iranian media reported.

"This week's air defense maneuvers will be held with the intention of protecting the country's nuclear facilities," Mighani said, Fars reported. State television said the defense drills would "ensure better protection" for these facilities.

The war games were announced a day after senior officials from six world powers said they were disappointed Iran had not accepted proposals intended to delay its potential to make nuclear weapons, and urged Tehran to reconsider.

The United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France met after U.S. President Barack Obama warned there could be a package of sanctions against Iran within weeks.

Iran often holds defense exercises and announces advances in military equipment in order to show its readiness to counter any threats over its disputed nuclear program.

Iranian officials have over the last few weeks voiced growing frustration at Russia's failure to deliver the S-300.

Moscow, which is under Western pressure to distance itself from Iran over the nuclear dispute, has not followed through on proposals to supply the missiles to the country.

"They have declared technical problems as the underlying reason for this delay, but we think it has been due to the Zionists' pressure," Mighani said, according to Fars.

"In various manoeuvres, new and modern missile networks will be used and evaluated, including the advanced S-300 missiles, for which the production capability exists in Iran," IRNA quoted him as saying, without elaborating.

A senior lawmaker, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, earlier this month also said Iran would be able to produce the S-300 system itself, appearing to refer to missiles with similar capabilities.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Russia last month for failing to provide the arms to Iran.

The truck-mounted S-300PMU1, known in the West as the SA-20, can shoot down cruise missiles and aircraft. It can fire at targets up to 150 km away.
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  1.   Iran and it`s war games 16:46  |  DT 21/11/09
  2.   Excellent. 18:14  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/11/09
  3.   Irans war game, 20:35  |  ottomatik 21/11/09
  4.   Hit the heart of Tel-Aviv? With what? Spears? Photoshop? 21:56  |  Dan 21/11/09
  5.   Israel Can`t wiat for Iran`s exercises so 22:11  |  Edward 21/11/09
  6.   GOLDSTONE & U.N. SILENT ON PLANS FOR WARCRIMES AGINST ISRAEL 22:27  |  Roger 21/11/09
  7.   Notice to all Iranian pilots 22:39  |  Saddam 21/11/09
  8.   Iranian Cleric Suffers from Flatulence 22:50  |  John Q. Public 21/11/09
  9.   Mojtaba Zolnour 22:54  |  Albrecht Klein 21/11/09
  10.   That`s what they all say! 23:12  |  D 21/11/09
  11.   The Iranians are preparing for anair attack, but 23:19  |  Yonatan 21/11/09
  12.   Iranian Regime and its War Games. 23:37  |  Stephen. 21/11/09
  13.   Iran has officially called Israel`s bluff! 23:38  |  Jethro 21/11/09
  14.   #.11 Yonatan of Kfar Saba 23:54  |  Stephen. 21/11/09
  15.   Saddam - From Iranian Pilots 00:55  |  Persian Kitty 22/11/09
  16.   as above 00:57  |  tommy 22/11/09
  17.   Roger, Earth to Roger, Iran said "if attacked"... 00:59  |  BBSNews 22/11/09
  18.   Questions of priorities 01:18  |  sami abu ismail 22/11/09
  19.   Iranian threats against Humanity 01:24  |  Moti 22/11/09
  20.   My prediction is that Israel 01:36  |  Peter 22/11/09
  21.   Iran threatens Israel`s existence 01:41  |  Brod 22/11/09
  22.   Iran already declared war against Israel ? 01:43  |  Bill 22/11/09
  23.   First signs of an Imminent Israeli attack 01:47  |  Peter 22/11/09
  24.   More Vitriol From The Supreme Liar`s Lackeys 02:01  |  Bill Foonman 22/11/09
  25.   That was a little too simple, Yonathan # 11. 02:09  |  Fortuna Benmayor 22/11/09
  26.   Iran war games 02:14  |  Oz Person 22/11/09
  27.   Thanks Mojtaba! 02:58  |  Murray of Montreal 22/11/09
  28.   Read it before, think, and than respond 03:09  |  Saprophyticus 22/11/09
  29.   Iran cleric: We`ll hit `heart of Tel Aviv` if attacked 04:33  |  whatya goina do 22/11/09
  30.   Really #11 Yonatan, Israeli troops invading Iran?? 04:34  |  Jimmy 22/11/09
  31.   Edward - thank you for your help in planning our war. 07:06  |  CJ 22/11/09
  32.   Roger the IDF is in Tel Aviv...No? 07:08  |  CJ 22/11/09
  33.   Yonatan - Gufaw!!!!! Israeli ground attack on Iran!! 07:10  |  CJ 22/11/09
  34.   Brod - Iran has never threatened to vapourize Israel 07:13  |  CJ 22/11/09
  35.   Time is not short DT 08:50  |  observer 22/11/09
  36.   Brod 09:00  |  Just do it 22/11/09
  37.   Iran has all the rights 19:13  |  ProPeace 22/11/09
  38.   Brod 13:57  |  K Rogers 23/11/09
  39.   The LONG TERM 14:20  |  Ahmet 23/11/09
  40.   #14 Earth to BBS 17:29  |  *BEN JABO 23/11/09
  41.   CJ - It`s fact checking time 18:15  |  *BEN JABO 23/11/09
  42.   BBS - I have old news for you 18:21  |  *BEN JABO 23/11/09
  43.   CJ - Each side will hit what they want 18:22  |  *BEN JABO 23/11/09
  44.   #37 ProPeace - Want action? 04:01  |  *BEN JABO 25/11/09
  45.   @ProPeace 21:10  |  Anon 03/02/10
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