TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- A senior Iranian official warns that his country will use missiles against Israel or Western forces in the Gulf if attacked.
"The world knows Iran has a ballistic missile power with a range of 2,000 km (1,300 miles)," General Yahya Rahim Safavi said on state-run television. "We have no intention to invade any country (but) we will take effective defence measures if attacked."
International pressure to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council has became more urgent since Iran resumed work at its uranium enrichment facility. Tehran claims its nuclear program is designed only for civilian purposes, The London Observer reported.
For the moment, Iran's most powerful weapon is the Shahab-3 missile, which can strike more than 1,242 miles from their launch site, putting Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East in easy range, the newspaper said.
"We are producing these missiles and don't need foreign technology for that," Safavi said in his speech.
