Iran says it will "strike back" if attacked

Iran's ambassador to Russia Seyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi told reporters in Moscow that his country "will counter any Western military action against it". RIA Novosti is reporting that the diplomat stated that "the United States would be making a mistake if it attacked." Iran says it will "strike back" if attacked "If they hit us from any location we will strike back from any location,” Sajjadi said. Western powers suspect that Iran's enriched uranium program is seeking to create a nuclear bomb,while Tehran says it only wants to produce its own energy. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Wednesday "major advances in the country's nuclear program." Ahmadinejad presided over the loading of Iran’s first domestically-made nuclear fuel rods into a research reactor in a ceremony broadcast on television. The United States reacted by downplaying Iran's claims of advances in its nuclear program, VOA reported. Tehran is feeling the pressure of international sanctions and wants to distract from its growing diplomatic isolation said a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, describing the announcement as "hype": "We frankly don't see a lot new here. This is not big news. It seems to have been hyped. The Iranians have, for many months, been putting out calendars of accomplishments, and based on their own calendars, they are many, many months behind. This strikes us as calibrated mostly for a domestic audience." The Iranian military test-fires a missile (Beta/AP/ISNA) Ria Novosti, VOA

Iran says it will "strike back" if attacked

"If they hit us from any location we will strike back from any location,” Sajjadi said.

Western powers suspect that Iran's enriched uranium program is seeking to create a nuclear bomb,while Tehran says it only wants to produce its own energy.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Wednesday "major advances in the country's nuclear program."

Ahmadinejad presided over the loading of Iran’s first domestically-made nuclear fuel rods into a research reactor in a ceremony broadcast on television.

The United States reacted by downplaying Iran's claims of advances in its nuclear program, VOA reported.

Tehran is feeling the pressure of international sanctions and wants to distract from its growing diplomatic isolation said a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, describing the announcement as "hype":

"We frankly don't see a lot new here. This is not big news. It seems to have been hyped. The Iranians have, for many months, been putting out calendars of accomplishments, and based on their own calendars, they are many, many months behind. This strikes us as calibrated mostly for a domestic audience."