Iran to defend its sovereignty against threats

TEHRAN - Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Wednesday that the Islamic republic will rigorously defend the country's sovereignty, national interests, and territorial integrity in case of a possible foreign invasion, Press TV reported.

The enemies must know that they are facing an Iranian strong will to grow which relies on its internal capabilities, Vahidi was quoted as saying in reaction to Israel's recent threats of a military strike against Iran.

Israeli home front defense minister Matan Vilna'i said last week that a possible war with Iran could take one month with 500 dead.

Referring to the country's military progress, Vahidi said "Iran 's defense achievements are aimed at serving the region," according to Press TV.

Vahidi said Tuesday that the country's Defense Ministry plans to produce a variety of fighter jets, missiles, drones, submarines and military vehicles by the end of the Iranian calendar year ( started March 20, 2012).

"Producing new drones has been put on our agenda, and we are also trying to employ new submarines," Vahidi said, adding that the Defense Ministry also plans to produce a new generation of flying boats with high combat capabilities as well as a new generation of ballistic and cruise missiles and military vehicles.

On Wednesday, Iranian lawmaker Hamid-Reza Tabatabaei said Israel will be annihilated if it attacks Iran as "the Zionist regime" does not have the military ability to confront the Islamic republic's armed forces, according to Press TV.

"A look at the past shows that whenever the Zionist regime (of Israel) has been cornered by domestic and international issues, it has resorted to threatening Iran and other independent countries of the world," said Tabatabaei.

The Iranian lawmaker added that a practical threat against Iran by Israel will lead to the total destruction of itself, because Tel Aviv lacks the military might to withstand Iran's response.

The international situation has changed and Israel's neighbors are no longer its allies as well as "The Islamic Awakening in the region has totally isolated the Zionist regime," Tabatabaei was quoted in the report as saying.

In case of a foreign attack, the entire Iranian nation will be united against it in spite of different viewpoints in Iran, said Tabatabaei.

Iran's Air Defense Force commenced on Tuesday the construction of the Islamic republic's largest air defense site in the southern Iranian city of Abadeh. At the ceremony, a deputy commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base underscored the importance of air defense as one of Iran's major requirements under the prevailing circumstances.

Reports said that Iran's Air Defense Force has allocated a credit of around $24.5 million to the project which is set to be established in an area of 200 hectares.