'Iran ready for all-out defense'

Press TV
Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Iran's Majlis speaker says the nation is ready to defend its independence and territorial sovereignty against any military attack.

"The prospect of a war against Iran is very weak but it is possible that the US policy makers take such an unwise decision," Gholam-Ali Hadad-Adel said Wednesday at a press conference.

"The Islamic Republic has never sought any confrontation (with other countries) but we are ready for an all-out defense of our independence and territorial sovereignty," the Iranian lawmaker emphasized.

He reiterated that such threats are aimed at "launching a psychological war against Iran and terrorizing the regional nations. However, the public opinion is well aware of such futile attempts."

"The failure of the occupiers in Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years, Iranian nation's determination to defend its rights and the widespread security and unity in the country rule out the possibility of a military attack on Iran," Hadad-Adel said.

The Iranian Parliament speaker also voiced Iran's readiness to continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), describing the current trend in Iran's nuclear issue as 'positive.'

"The Islamic Republic of Iran earlier announced that if the IAEA imposes limitations on Tehran's peaceful nuclear program, we will confine cooperation with the agency, but now the way of negotiation has been paved and we welcome the current trend," the legislator added.

Asked about Iran's possible withdrawal from the NPT in the case of imposition of further sanctions, Hadad-Adel said "threatening the Iranian nation by sanctions is not a new issue. What is different from the past is that the doors have opened for negotiations."