Mahmoud dismisses war warning
2007-09-18 12:02
Tehran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that Iran does "not take seriously" a warning from the French foreign minister that the world should brace for war against Tehran.
"We do not take these declarations seriously. Comments to the media are different to the real positions," Ahmadinejad told reporters after a speech to parliament.
The remarks were Ahmadinejad's first public reaction to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's warning on Sunday that the world should brace for war against Tehran over its controversial nuclear programme.
The president did not elaborate but the comments were in line with the oft-repeated conviction of Iranian leaders the United States would not dare strike Iran at a time when it is fighting insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The United States has never ruled out using military strikes to punish Iran for its defiance in the nuclear standoff and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday that "all options are on the table".
Iran however believes that the case over its nuclear programme is closed owing to its increased transparency in answering questions from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The United States accuses Iran of seeking an atomic weapon, charges vehemently denied by Tehran which says its nuclear drive is aimed at providing electricity for a growing population whose fossil fuels will one day run out.
"France: 'Be ready for war'. Iran: 'Don't make American threats'", ran the headline in the centrist daily Kargozaran. "Kouchner's war-mongering statements overshadow nuclear talks," it added.
"A new lining up against Iran", was the title in the reformist daily Etemad-e Melli.
Iranian officials have already expressed their displeasure over Kouchner's remarks, saying the comments showed the increasing influence that the United States has over policy in Paris
France's line on the Iranian nuclear standoff has hardened considerably since the election in May of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has moved to promote closer relations with Washington.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Monday the comments showed "the influence of unreal suggestions and erroneous information from others" and would damage France's credibility in the region.
The state news agency IRNA also launched a withering attack on the French government, accusing it of "copying the White House" and saying Sarkozy has "taken on an American skin".
"The French people will never forget the era when a non-European moved into the Elysee," it said.
Iran's military elite has also warned the United States of the consequences of any attack, saying US bases in neighbouring Afghanistan and Iraq are well within the range of its missiles.
"We are ready for a hard battle of defence," said Iranian air force chief Ahmad Meighani, quoted by official media. "We are ready to face any menace."