Source: Ha'aretz
Nov 12, 2006
The terror regime in Tehran employed traditional Islamic scare tactics and rattled their sabers in Israel's direction Sunday after government officials warned that Israel would have to move swiftly and decisively to deal with the Iranian threat to annihilate the Jewish state.
"If Israel takes such a stupid step and attacks, the answer of Iran and its Revolutionary Guard will be rapid, firm and destructive and it will be given in a few seconds," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman told a news conference.
In the words of the British Foreign Office recently, Iran is "hell bent" on achieving nuclear status even as its leadership repeatedly vows to wipe Israel off the map of the Middle East.
Speaking to the Israeli press last Friday, Deputy-Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said Israel had to curb Iran "at all costs." While he was "not advocating an Israeli pre-emptive military action ... even the last resort is sometimes the only resort."
Sneh's remarks were followed up by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who said Sunday that "Iran must start to fear" what will happen to it if it continues to pursue nuclear weapons.