Iranian rhetoric is spewing more vitriol amid speculation about whether Israel is planning a possible strike against the Islamic republic’s nuclear facilities.
"Iran's warriors are ready and willing to wipe Israel off the map,"
ynetnews.com quotes Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying.
Vahidi’s statement came as he warned Israel against an attack, saying, "Any act by the Zionist regime against Iran will bring about its destruction."
Hezbollah “is at the forefront of the fight against Israel and it is growing stronger by the day," ynetnews.com quotes him as saying.
Vahidi, speaking at a ceremony honoring past Hezbollah commanders, said, “Israel is weaker than it has ever been and its army is tired and humiliated . . . This is why it is trying to solve its problems by talking about taking action against Iran. But these are ridiculous statements.”
The Iranian saber-rattling comes amid speculation that Israel might strike pre-emptively to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Iran denies it is trying to develop such capability, but the West believes it is doing just that.
Meanwhile, a
Middle East specialist raised the specter on Saturday that Israeli pre-emptive attack on Iran's nuclear sites could draw the United States into a new Mideast conflict.
"Israel can commence a war with Iran, but it may well take U.S. involvement to conclude it," said Karim Sadjadpour, a Middle East specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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