Iran Counters US 'Threats and Bribes'

04/06/2006| IslamWeb

Global energy supplies could be compromised if the US makes the wrong move towards Iran, the Iranian supreme leader has said.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday: "If you make a wrong move regarding Iran, definitely the energy flow in this region will be seriously endangered."

 

He also rejected demands that his country suspend nuclear work, which the US views as a cover for making weapons, and said the Islamic republic would not buckle in the face of "threats and bribes".

Iranian officials have in the past ruled out using oil as a weapon in the nuclear standoff with the West, but Khamenei pointed out that any action against his country could well disrupt supplies.

"You [the US] are not capable of securing energy flows in this region," he said in a speech to mark the anniversary of the death of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic.

Friendly relations

Speaking at Khomeini's mausoleum on the southern outskirts of Tehran, Khamenei said that "Iran is no threat to anyone".

 

"We have friendly relations with all the region and Asia," he said. "We have good and healthy relations with Europe, and in the close  future, because they need our gas, these relations will become even  better.

"They accuse us of developing nuclear bombs. This is an absurd  lie. We do not need nuclear weapons and bombs. We don't have any target to use them on. Using nuclear weapons is against Islamic rules.

 

"We will not impose the costs of building and maintenance of  nuclear weapons on our people. Our explosive source is the power of our faith."

 

He also said that the United States had been weakened - and  his speech was frequently interrupted by chants of "Death to  America", "Death to Israel" and "We are ready!" from the thousands at the ceremony.

 

Blunt razor

 

"In Iraq you failed," Khamenei said. "You say you have spent 300 billion dollar to bring a government in office that obeys you. But it did not happen. In Palestine, you made all attempts to prevent Hamas from coming to power and again you failed. Why do you not admit that you are weak and your razor is blunt."

Khamenei did not explicitly refer to its nuclear program in his speech, but he said: "We are committed to our national interests and whoever threatens it will experience the sharpness of this nation's anger."

He also praised the efforts of the country's nuclear scientists in developing home-grown nuclear technology.

Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, is expected to hand over to Tehran incentives agreed by six world powers to persuade it to abandon plans to make nuclear fuel.

Iran has said enriching uranium for fuel is a national right.

Photo Caption

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei