The Iranian president warned against a military attack on Iran and again insisted Tehran's atomic programme was for peaceful purposes only.
"Iran's capabilities are increasing and it is progressing, and for that reason it has been able to compete in the world. Now Israel and the West, particularly America, fear Iran's capabilities and role," Ahmadinejad told Egypt's Al-Akhbar newspaper.
"Therefore they are trying to gather international support for a military operation to stop (Iran's) role. The arrogant should know that Iran will not allow them to take any action against it," he said.
Ahmadinejad added that Washington wanted to "save the Zionist entity, but it will not be able to do so."
"This entity (Israel) can be compared to a kidney transplanted in a body that rejected it," he said. "Yes it will collapse and its end will be near."
Ahmadinejad's diatribe against Israel, Iran's arch-foe, come after Israeli President Shimon Peres warned in a television interview on Saturday that an attack on Iran was becoming "more and more likely." » | Monday, November 07, 2011
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Ehud Barak refuses to rule out military strike against Iran: Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, refused to rule out military action against Iran yesterday, heightening expectations that his government is preparing to authorise an attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities. ¶ In an interview with the BBC, Mr Barak said that sanctions and international diplomacy had so far failed to deter Iran from seeking to build a nuclear bomb, a prospect that would, he warned, threaten the stability of the "whole world". » | Adrian Blomfield, Jerusalem | Sunday, November 06, 2011
WATCH BBC VIDEO: Ehud Barak: Middle East is 'tough neighbourhood' – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has described the Middle East as a "tough neighbourhood" when describing the risks of a confrontation with Iran over its nuclear programme. ¶ Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show the former Israeli Prime Minister said "Israel is the strongest country for the thousand miles around Jerusalem, we plan to remain the strongest country around." ¶ "But we are at the same time peaceful, we are ready to make peace at any moment with any one of our neighbours." » | Sunday, November 06, 2011
