Two Iranian defenders are seen during the invasion of former Iraqi dictator Saddam's regime in this file photo.

Commander of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said Iran has all options on the table to defend itself against any foreign attack.
He emphasized that the possibility of an attack on Iran is more serious compared to the past, the Persian daily ’Jaam-e Jam’ quoted him as saying in an interview published in its Saturday edition.
“By resorting to machinations, the enemy is trying to convey to the world that Iran seeks military objectives in its nuclear program. These machinations along with George W. Bush’s limited time remaining till the end of his tenure plus disappointment of Republicans about winning the presidential race in 2008 have created a situation wherein a military strike against Iran is more likely than ever.
Of course, I do not want to say that military action against Iran is definite, but it seems that the enemy considers the military option as one of the ways to overcome the deadlock.
However, the enemy still does not know whether the use of force will yield a favorable result or not,“ he said.
Recently, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz said Israel would attack Iran if it did not stop its nuclear program. The western and Israeli political circles have constantly accused Iran of making the atomic bomb, which is an allegation Iran has perpetually rejected.
The general recalled that America cannot attack Iran without the cooperation of Israel.
“The fact that the Zionist regime has many vulnerabilities in itself is a prohibitive factor for the enemies.
Moreover, Iran’s missile capabilities are another prohibitive factor while it must also be remembered that the enhanced solidarity of the Islamic world, especially the unity among Shiites, is also another consideration. Israelis are fully aware that if they take action against Iran, given the influence of the Islamic world and especially Shiites in the region, fatal blows will be struck against them,“ he said.
Jafari recalled that Iran possesses the means to strike a blow against the Zionist regime outside Iran.
“Our strategic estimates reveal that if Israel attacks Iran independently or through the assistance of the US, all territories under Israeli rule will become unsafe in the shortest period of time. Our missiles can hit the entire Zionist territories. The missile abilities of Iranian armed forces, especially the IRGC, are such that the Zionists cannot overcome despite all the means available to them,“ he said.
He underlined that Muslims of the world, be it Sunnis or Shiite, view a military strike against Iran as attack on the Islamic world.
“Hence, Muslims of the world will consider it their religious duty to respond to this attack. This is not something that the Islamic state could prevent. It is a matter of ideology that the enemies actually experienced during Sacred Defense and their attack on Iraq,“ he noted.
Jafari went on to observe: “Israel is too small to take military action against Iran by itself. Therefore, the pivot of all threats posed against Iran is America.
“We believe that the Americans are more vulnerable than Israel and the presence of the US troops in the region accounts for a large portion of this vulnerability.
“Therefore, apart from its missile capability, Iran can strike a blow against the US interests even in remote areas of the world. This is indeed a preventive parameter that the enemies have carefully considered.“
Jafari said that if Iran is attacked, it will use oil as a defensive option in the war.
“It is natural that when a country is attacked, it uses all the options and opportunities for confronting the enemy. If we are attacked, obviously one alternative for us will be to exercise control on energy outlets in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. It must be borne in mind that an attack on Iran will lead to a hike in oil price, which is something the enemies do not want to see happen,“ he said.

Iran has discovered an oilfield within its southwestern Farsi oil block, an oil official said on Saturday, without giving details of estimated reserves.
Iran, the world’s fourth-largest crude oil exporter, said in March it had finalized a financial proposal for developing the Farsi block with Oil and Natural Gas Corp.
“India’s ONGC has discovered a new oilfield in the Farsi oil bloc of the Persian Gulf,“ IRIB quoted managing director of Iran’s Offshore Oil Company, Mahmoud Zirakchian-Zadeh, as saying.
“The Indian company will undertake the development of the newly-discovered field upon determining that its development is economically feasible,“ he added, without elaborating.
OPEC member Iran has in the past put its oil reserves at 138 billion barrels.
ONGC was reported to have previously begun technical studies for the project, which are planned to take place in two phases with an expected yield of 500 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from each phase.
The Farsi block is already operated by ONGC Videsh, the overseas arm of ONGC, along with India’s top refiner Indian Oil Corp Ltd and smaller explorer Oil India Ltd.
Iran is drawing interest from Indian and Chinese firms that are keen to tap the world’s second-largest reserves of oil and gas, and less susceptible than many other western companies.

Secret negotiations have taken place to arrange the release from a British jail of one of Al-Qaeda’s most important operatives in Europe, the Times has learnt.
The prisoner, who can be identified only as U, is expected to be released from the high-security wing at Long Lartin jail next week.
Appeal Court judges ruled in April that the man, a 45-year-old Algerian veteran of Al-Qaeda’s Afghan training camps, should be freed on bail. But discussions between security agencies and U’s lawyers became deadlocked over the conditions restricting his movements and whom he can meet when he leaves prison.
The authorities are understood to have sought bail terms more stringent than the 22-hour curfew imposed on the radical cleric Abu Qatada when he was freed last week. These conditions would require U to spend all his time indoors.
Security agencies blocked requests for U to live in London claiming that he has extensive contacts among extremist Islamist groups there. They also objected to an address in Brighton. U will be required to wear an electronic tag, subjected to round-the-clock monitoring and forbidden to use the Internet or a mobile phone.
When the agreement is finalized, the details will be passed to a judge who can release U from the prison in Worcestershire without any further court hearing. The Home Office refused to comment on the situation beyond saying it was seeking “the strictest bail conditions“ possible.