source ITN - 1 hour 55 minutes ago
Iran has said it would hit Tel Aviv, US shipping in the Gulf and US interests if it was attacked over its disputed nuclear activities.
An aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Shirazi was quoted as saying: "The first bullet fired by America at Iran will be followed by Iran burning down its vital interests around the globe."
He was also quoted as saying: "The Zionist regime is pressuring White House officials to attack Iran. If they commit such a stupidity, Tel Aviv and US shipping in the Persian Gulf will be Iran's first targets and they will be burned."
The world's leading industrialised nations, the G8, meeting in Japan have urged Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment related activities.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said major world powers had decided to send European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana to Iran for talks on an incentives package they offered last month to induce Tehran to change its nuclear policy.
Mr Sarkozy did not say when Mr Solana would travel to Tehran. Iran formally replied on Friday to the offer by the United States, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany.
France said Iran's response had ignored the world powers' demand for a suspension of uranium enrichment before talks on implementing the package - a condition rejected on Monday as "illegitimate" by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mr Shirazi's comments intensified a war of words that has raised fears of military confrontation and helped boost world oil prices to record highs in recent weeks.
He is a mid-level cleric, is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to the Revolutionary Guards
Iran has said it would hit Tel Aviv, US shipping in the Gulf and US interests if it was attacked over its disputed nuclear activities.
An aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Shirazi was quoted as saying: "The first bullet fired by America at Iran will be followed by Iran burning down its vital interests around the globe."
He was also quoted as saying: "The Zionist regime is pressuring White House officials to attack Iran. If they commit such a stupidity, Tel Aviv and US shipping in the Persian Gulf will be Iran's first targets and they will be burned."
The world's leading industrialised nations, the G8, meeting in Japan have urged Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment related activities.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said major world powers had decided to send European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana to Iran for talks on an incentives package they offered last month to induce Tehran to change its nuclear policy.
Mr Sarkozy did not say when Mr Solana would travel to Tehran. Iran formally replied on Friday to the offer by the United States, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany.
France said Iran's response had ignored the world powers' demand for a suspension of uranium enrichment before talks on implementing the package - a condition rejected on Monday as "illegitimate" by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mr Shirazi's comments intensified a war of words that has raised fears of military confrontation and helped boost world oil prices to record highs in recent weeks.
He is a mid-level cleric, is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to the Revolutionary Guards