TEHRAN: Iran will attack any country whose territory is used by 'enemies' of the Islamic state to launch a military strike against its soil, the deputy head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards told the semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday.

"Any spot used by the enemy for hostile operations against Iran, will be subjected to retaliatory aggression by our armed forces," Hossein Salami said, during military manoeuvres.

The Revolutionary Guards began the two-day ground exercises on Saturday as a show of military might as tension rises between Tehran and the West over Iran's disputed nuclear programme.

Iranian media said it was a small-scale exercise in southern Iran.

The United States and Israel, Iran's arch enemies, have not ruled out a military strike against the country if diplomacy fails to resolve the standoff. Iran says its nuclear programmeis purely peaceful, rather than aimed at developing weapons.

Iran has warned that its response to any such strike will be "painful", threatening to target Israel, and US bases in the Gulf, along

with closing the vital oil shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters) 

Iran warns us indirectly

It is nothing but an open secret that for quite many years USA has launched an undeclared war against Iran’s nuclear program and during the years it has twisted Iran from different angles both itself and also through its allies but despite this all Iran has not inched back whatsoever from its nuclear program. Iran did feel the pinch of embargos and boycotts hurled against it but it did not bulge from its instance.

Israel which is very much thick and thin with USA has quite blatantly indicated that it will certainly directly attack Iran’s nuclear facilities to bring it to zero so that it can never ever be able to continue developing its nuclear capacities and such an attack cannot be ruled out in any case. Israel has not only been fully geared and toned up by USA militarily but its nearness to Iran also gives an extra strength to its move to attack Iran. Officially speaking Israel has not given any time table as to when it is going to attack Iran but nevertheless if one can read between the lines it looks like that there is not much time left in between from now and then.

Just a few days back only Leon Panetta, US Defense Secretary has indicated that perhaps Israel could attack Iran in just a few months time. He opines that attack is likely to take place before the summer season sets in which practically speaking could be about three to four months away which is not that distant away in any case. Hossein Salami, Deputy Head, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reacting to the address of Leon has warned very categorically that its armed forces are fully alert and capable to severally counter attack as and when someone attacks Iran. He has also very categorically said that Iran will equally punish any country whose soil is used to attack Iran which should not be taken so lightly so far as Pakistan in concerned.

USA is distance wise too far away to directly attack Iran from its own soil so it is quite but natural that in the given circumstances it does need some place nearer to its target and hence quite obviously the soil of those countries which are in neighborhood of Iran are the most suited place for USA to attack its enemy.  Luckily or unluckily, Pakistan being the very next door neighbor of Iran could be at least one of the most suited if not the only suited country from where USA could easily and very effectively pounce on Iran. Pakistan being an ally of USA will certainly be at least asked by USA to lend it all the logistical support it extended earlier to it when USA attacked Afghanistan so why and how it can refuse now to do the same. However, it must be remembered that Pakistan and Iran are very closely knitted whereas the same feelings had never been alike between Pakistan and Afghanistan and it demands that Afghanistan and Iran cannot and should not be treated by Pakistan on the same footing.

Pakistan must not bulge and should not lend its soil anymore to USA to attack Iran otherwise Pakistan will be stabbing its one of the most trusted neighbor from the back which will neither be appreciated by Pakistanis nor by other countries. Let we not become a laughing stock I wish.

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