Iran taunts the west

IRAN will stop any attacker before he can “pull the trigger” and sanctions intended to isolate the Islamic republic have not worked, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told a military parade.

The United States and its allies are seeking to step up UN sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear plans, which the West sees as a bid to build nuclear arms. Iran denies this.

There has been persistent speculation Washington or Israel might launch strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, as neither country has ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to end the row.

“If anybody dares to breach the boundaries of the Iranian nation, the Iranian nation’s holy land and Iran’s legal interests, our armed forces... will break his hand before he can pull the trigger,” Ahmadinejad said.

He was speaking at a parade broadcast on state television to mark the start of the Iran-Iraq war in September 1980.

Hundreds of troops marched past the official podium, followed by military hardware, including the Shahab-3 missile, which television commentators said had a range of 2,000km (1,250 miles), putting Israel in range.

Trucks drove past bearing large slogans reading “Down with Israel” and “Down with USA”.

Iran has dismissed reports of possible US or Israeli plans to strike Iran, but says it would respond by attacking US interests and Israel if any such assault was made.

“Today, Iran is not in a position to show even the smallest flexibility against the bullying of the enemies. History has shown that those who wish ill for Iran will gain nothing but regret,” he said.

Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil producer, says it wants to master nuclear technology to make electricity but its failure to convince world powers of its peaceful intentions has prompted three rounds of limited UN sanctions.