World Jewish News
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (L) talking with Iran's naval chief, after a military exercise in the Gulf in February, 2010. Photo by: AP
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Iran: If attacked our response will be wide-ranging and unpredictable
23.08.2010, Israel and the World Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi warned Monday that his country would show a wide-range of reactions in face of a possible attack, adding that the extent would be unpredictable, the Iranian news agency ISNA reported on Monday.
“We will show a very wide-range reaction in case of any military strike which would come due to foolishness and ignorance, our reaction cannot be predicted by the enemy,” he said during an unveiling ceremony of two domestic boats.
During the unveiling, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps inaugurated production lines for two high-speed vessels, the latest in a series of recent additions to the country's arsenal.
The Seraj and Zolfaqar vessels are to be armed with missiles and torpedoes, state media reported.
The production lines were launched in a ceremony attended by Vahidi and Revolutionary Guards navy commander Admiral Ali Fadavi.
Fadavi said that the Zolfaqar vessel would be the best in its class worldwide. The craft is to be capable of traveling at a speed of up to 70 knots (130 kilometers per hour), and would be suitable for both patrol and offensive missions, the admiral said.
The Seraj vessel is to be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, reports said.
Iran's defense ministry has in recent weeks displayed several new military projects, including submarines, surface-to-surface missiles and drones.
On Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled the country's first domestically made drone, the Karar, which has range of 1,000 kilometers and is armed.
Ahmadinejad said that the drone could be "an ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, but at the same time a messenger of salvation, peace and friendship in the avoidance of conflicts and aggression."
Iran last week also test fired the new generation of the surface-to-surface Qiam-1 missile, described as a huge step in missile development by the defense ministry.
The armed forces have increased their maneuvers in the wake of renewed speculation about possible Israeli airstrikes against the country's nuclear sites.
Tehran says its army is not trained to attack another country, but the West fears Iran could launch a missile strike against Israel, especially with its Shahab missiles, which reportedly have a range of 2,000 kilometers, making them capable of reaching any part of the Jewish state.
Haaretz.com
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