JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Iranian general threatened to launch a pre-emptive attack on Israel and said that any attack by Israel on Iran could start "World War III."
Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards who heads its missile command, told an Iranian television network Sunday that "Iran will not start any war, but it could launch a pre-emptive attack if it was sure that the enemies are putting the final touches to attack it," Reuters reported.
Hajizadeh also said that in the case of such a war, Iran also would attack American military bases because, he said, "We cannot imagine the Zionist regime starting a war without America’s support."
"In that case, unpredictable and unmanageable things would happen and it could turn into a World War III," he said.
Israel has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in an effort to prevent the Islamic Republic from building a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, an Iranian lawmaker accused the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, of passing information about Iran’s nuclear program to Israel.
Javad Jahangirzadeh, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said that IAEA head Yukiya Amano’s repeated travel to Israel and consultations with Israeli officials about Iran’s nuclear program "indicates that Iran’s nuclear information has been disclosed to the Zionist regime [Israel] and other enemies of the Islamic Republic," Reuters reported, citing a Press TV interview.
"If the agency’s actions lead to Iran cutting cooperation with this international body," Jahangirzadeh said, "all responsibility will be with the IAEA director general."
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
