By REUTERS
Published: March 18, 2007
TEHRAN, March 17 — A senior Iranian army commander warned the United States and other Western powers not to make any “stupid move” over Tehran’s nuclear program and said they would be surprised by the military response to any such action.
The comments by Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi, the commander in chief of the regular army, were reported by newspapers on Saturday and were the latest in a series of defiant statements by Iran’s leadership as the United Nations prepares to vote on new sanctions against the country. He said Iran’s military was much stronger today than when Iran fought a war against Iraq in the 1980s.
Iran is embroiled in an escalating international dispute over its uranium enrichment program, which Tehran says is solely for fuel for power generation. The West suspects the program is a cover for making nuclear weapons.
The United States says it would prefer a negotiated solution to the crisis but has not ruled out military options if diplomacy fails.
Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said on Wednesday that his country would respond militarily if attacked.
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