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    February 03, 2012

Iran Threatens Retaliation for Sanctions or Attack

   DATE: 02/03/12 PUBLISHED:Friday, February 03, 2012 7:06:33 AM NUMBER:
   1964971 AUDIO: VIDEO: WEB: TYPE: CN )) Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah
   Ali Khamenei has warned that his country will retaliate against
   Western-backed oil sanctions and any threat of attack, after U.S.
   Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was cited in media reports as saying he
   fears Israel could attack Iran in the next few months. A report
   Thursday in the Washington Post, later backed by other news outlets,
   said Secretary Panetta fears Israel could attack Iran as early as
   April, to stop Tehran's progress on a possible nuclear bomb. Panetta
   was not directly quoted in the report and has not commented on it.
   Khamenei's comments came in a speech on state television Friday as he
   marked the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. He said
   sanctions will have no effect on Iran's determination to continue its
   nuclear program. He also said Iran will back any nation or group that
   intends to confront Israel. Israel is among the nations, including the
   United States, that suspect Iran may be enriching uranium to make
   nuclear weapons. Israel has not ruled out an attack on Iran's nuclear
   facilities, while the United States is pushing for increased
   international sanctions instead. Iran insists its nuclear activities
   are only for peaceful purposes. In retaliation for any further action,
   Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through
   which much of the world's oil is shipped.

   VOA News
   Pictures of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic
   Republic (R) and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during
   the anniversary ceremony of Iran's Islamic Revolution at the Behesht
   Zahra cemetery, south of Tehran, February 1, 2012
   Photo: Reuters
   Iranian women walk in front of the pictures of Ayatollah Ruhollah
   Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic (R) and Iran's Supreme
   Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the anniversary ceremony of Iran's
   Islamic Revolution at the Behesht Zahra cemetery, south of Tehran,
   February 1, 2012.

   Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that his
   country will retaliate against Western-backed oil sanctions and any
   threat of attack, after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was cited
   in media reports as saying he fears Israel could attack Iran in the
   next few months.
   Israel's intentions?

   A report Thursday in The Washington Post, later backed by other news
   outlets, said Secretary Panetta fears Israel could attack Iran as early
   as April, to stop Tehran's progress on a possible nuclear bomb. Panetta
   was not directly quoted in the report and has not commented on it.
   Khamenei's comments came in a speech on state television Friday as he
   marked the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
   Sanctions, no impact on nuclear program

   He said sanctions will have no effect on Iran's determination to
   continue its nuclear program. He also said Iran will back any nation or
   group that intends to confront Israel.
   Israel is among the nations, including the United States, that suspect
   Iran may be enriching uranium to make nuclear weapons. Israel has not
   ruled out an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, while the United
   States is pushing for increased international sanctions instead.
   Iran insists its nuclear activities are only for peaceful purposes.
   In retaliation for any further action, Iran has repeatedly threatened
   to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world's oil is
   shipped.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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