If Iran is attacked, 150,000 missiles will be launched at Israel, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Sunday in his most recent tirade against Israel. During a speech to army volunteers in the southwestern city of Bushehr, Vahidi said, "Israel should be punished for its actions against Muslims in 'Palestine' and Lebanon," in reference to what the Iranian regime calls the "massacres" in Sabra and Shatila and Gaza. The Zionist regime has not yet paid the price for these incidents, Vahidi was quoted by the Tehran Times as saying, adding that if Israel attacks Iran, the Islamic Republic will take revenge. Why does the Zionist regime issue such threats? For how many missiles has it readied itself: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 150,000, or more-" Vahidi said. If Israel attacks Tehran, the Basijis will not even give Israel the time to breathe, he declared. Speculation about Israeli military moves against Iran has grown since the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report earlier this month detailing the strongest evidence yet that Tehran is engaging in covert atomic weapons work. Tehran continues to insist that its nuclear work is for peaceful means, but at the same time regularly engages in firebrand rhetoric against Israel and the West. In his speech, the Iranian defense minister also directed his threats at the U.S. "Iran is not like Iraq or Afghanistan," he said, and "if the Americans make a mistake with Iran, we'll teach them how to fight." The "enemy" who attacks Iran must be prepared to answer questions such as how long it can endure the fight against the Islamic Republic and how much it is ready to watch the sinking of its warships and ships, Vahidi was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, in what appeared to be another move against the West, Iran's parliament on Sunday approved a bill requiring both Iran and Britain to withdraw their respective ambassadors from each other's countries. The move came in response to London's support of recently upgraded U.S. sanctions on Tehran. Tehran's relations with Britain have become increasingly strained over the past few months, largely driven by amped-up tensions over Tehran's disputed nuclear program. During an open session of Iranian parliament broadcast live by state radio, 171 out of 196 lawmakers present voted for the bill requiring Iran to reduce its relationship with Britain to the level of charge d'affaires within two weeks. Ismail Kowsari, a lawmaker and one of the sponsors of the bill, told the official IRNA news agency that the bill would lead to the removal of ambassadors. Britain's Foreign Office on Sunday said the decision to order the country's ambassador, Dominick John Chilcott, to leave Tehran was regrettable. "This unwarranted move will do nothing to help the regime address their growing isolation, or international concerns about their nuclear program and human rights record," the ministry said in a statement. "If the Iranian government acts on this, we will respond robustly in consultation with our international partners." The bill needs ratification by a constitutional watchdog to become a law. It also requires a reduction of the volume of trade to a "minimum" level. It allows Iran's foreign ministry to restore ambassador-level relations if the "hostile policy" of Britain changes. The Iranian parliament's decision is seen as a reaction to London's support of a new U.S. package of sanctions against Iran. The measures were coordinated with Britain and Canada and build on previous sanctions to target Iran's oil and petrochemical industries and companies involved in nuclear procurement or enrichment activity. U.S. President Barack Obama's top national security aide said last week that a U.S.-led drive to isolate Iran had slowed its nuclear program and there was still "time, space and means" to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. The aide's remarks may also serve as an appeal to Israel for more time to devise a diplomatic strategy amid growing speculation about a potential Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
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