Ahmadinejad: Iran wants peace but will confront aggressors

Sep 22, 2009, 7:36 GMT

   Tehran - Iran wants peace and friendship but would decisively confront any aggressors, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, reacting to comments by Israeli officials that a military strike against Tehran was not off the table.

   'Our nation is for peace and friendship but would not allow any violations against its territory and rights,' Ahmadinejad said during a military parade in Tehran commemorating the beginning of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

   Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Monday that his country was keeping all options open as far as Iran was concerned, indicating that even a military strike against Iran was not ruled out as long as the Iranian nuclear threat existed.

   'Although no one would even dare, [anyone] from whatever country which plays with the idea of any kind of aggression against Iran would be hit by our capable defence forces,' the president said.

   'The country would decisively defend its territory and (nuclear) rights,' he added.

   Referring to Israel, he said 'devil-worshippers and criminals' had polluted the Middle East. However, Iran's political and military strength would not allow such elements to even consider military options against the Islamic state, he added.

   Ahmadinejad rejected Western claims that Iran was a threat to the region, saying the country's military might was only for defensive and deterrent purposes.

   'How come countries from the other side of the world dispatch forces to this region and increase insecurity and then accuse Iran of being a threat to the region?' Ahmadinejad said.

   The president said that the presence of the Western military forces in the region on the pretext of combating terrorism has only increased terrorism.

   'Iran is a country of logic and we tell you to revise your policies and withdraw your forces as the regional states know themselves how to settle their problems and it is an insult to them to tell them what to do,' Ahmadinejad said.