Iran warns US against making "strategic mistake"

Xinhuanet | Jan 23 2005

Iran on Sunday warned the United States against any attack attempt, saying any aggressive maneuvers against Iran would be a great strategic mistake.

"The Islamic republic is fully capable of defending itself, so only those who want to make a great strategic mistake would have the idea of attacking Iran," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said at his routine news briefing.

Asefi, however, said the US threat was unlikely to materialize, terming it as only "psychological war".

"We don't think a real attack is going to be launched by the United States," Asefi said.

The spokesman also called on the international community to take actions to stop the US policies.

"Iran expects the international community to keep close watch on the Bush administration, for it is eligible to stop any wrong policy of some countries," Asefi said.

US President George W. Bush said on Monday that he would not rule out military actions against Iran. Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice urged the world to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and threatened to refer Tehran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council.

At the inauguration ceremony of Bush's second term on Thursday, Vice President Dick Cheney ranked Iran at top of a list of global
trouble spots.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said in response that Iran would strongly stand up to any aggression.

The United States, accusing Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, has threatened to launch preemptive attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Iran rejects the charge and threat, saying its nuclear research is fully peaceful and boasting an effective deterrent power to
confront its enemies in the region.