TEHRAN, 25 December 2003 — Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani warned yesterday that his country would use all means at its disposal, including medium-range Shahab-3 missiles, if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities.
“We will use all strike weapons at our disposal and the Shahab-3 missile is one of those,” Shamkhani told reporters after a Cabinet meeting when asked if Iran would retaliate with missiles if Israel made good its threats to take out Iranian nuclear sites.
Earlier this year, the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps took delivery of several domestically built Shahab-3 missiles, with a range of between 1,300 and 1,500 kilometers (between 800 and 1,000 miles), sufficient to reach Israel.
The Tel Aviv daily Haaretz Sunday quoted Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz as warning that the Jewish state was considering striking the nuclear facilities of Iran, now regarded as its archenemy, despite an agreement earlier this month to submit them to snap UN inspection.
If such attacks are launched, “the necessary steps will be taken so that Iranian citizens will not be harmed,” the daily quoted Mofaz as saying. The Iranian defense minister said: “Israel is a glass garrison, but the Zionist regime leaders think that this garrison should have sovereignty over the whole world.
“The remarks by the Israeli war minister Mofaz show that the Zionist regime is a pariah regime,” said Shamkhani, adding, “The Israeli threats will not have any effect on the decisions of Iran.
“If threats against Iran are to be carried out, the Islamic Republic of Iran will answer with all its forces,” he said.
On Monday, the head of the Iranian air force, Brig. Gen. Seyed Reza Pardis, warned that Israel will “dig its own grave” if it attacks Iranian nuclear sites.
However, Iran last week won plaudits from the international community by signing the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that opens the way for snap UN inspections of sites.
Iran says Israel should now follow its lead and bring its own nuclear facilities under international oversight.
Turkey, Israel to Enhance Ties
In Ankara yesterday, Turkey and Israel agreed yesterday to enhance their cooperation against terrorism, following four massive bomb attacks in Istanbul last month, including two on synagogues.
Visiting Israeli Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi also asked Turkey, his country’s sole Muslim ally in the region, to mediate in peace efforts between Israel and Syria.
After the discussions, Haneghbi and his Turkish host, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, signed an accord aimed at further expanding the already close security cooperation between the two countries.
“We had the opportunity to develop new opportunities of cooperation on many security issues, and primarily terrorism,” Aksu told reporters.
He said the two sides discussed measures to ensure better protection of their respective diplomatic missions and nationals, exchange information and experience, as well as cooperate in the training of security personnel.
Hanegbi described global terrorism as a “monster which wishes to paralyze everybody in your country and in mine.”His visit to Ankara followed two twin suicide bombings in Istanbul, which hit two synagogues in the heart of the city on Nov. 15 and the British consulate and the HSBC bank five days later.
The attacks killed 62 people, including the assailants. Six Turkish Jews were among the victims of the synagogue blasts.
The accord between the two sides also cover illegal immigration and the trafficking of people, drugs and arms.
Hanegbi appealed to Turkey to help Israel and Syria resolve their long-standing dispute - peace talks have been on hold since 2000, with the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights invaded by Israel in 1967 and annexed 14 years later.
“Syria is frustrating the free world at the moment. Many people did feel that after the change in leadership in Syria, a more pragmatic leadership will arise after the conservative leadership of late president (Hafez) Assad.
“Still we could expect Turkey as a close friend of both countries to serve as a mediator to make it easier for the Syrans to understand that when you compromise and reach a dialogue with Israel... both countries can learn to live with each other,” Hanegbi said.
The Israeli official was scheduled to travel on to Istanbul on Thursday to see the two synagogues damaged in the November blasts.
Turkey has been Israel’s main regional ally since 1996 when the two countries signed a military cooperation accord, much to the anger of Arab nations and Iran.
