Iran accuses US of 'conspiracies'

Ahmadinejad says country can compete with Israel and west.

The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a visit to Natanz uranium enrichment facilities about 300km south of Tehran.

CAIRO // The US fears Iran's growing military power because it is now able to compete with Israel and the West, the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said in comments carried by an Egyptian newspaper yesterday.

Responding to a toughening stance from the US and Israel against Tehran, Mr Ahmadinejad accused Washington of inventing conspiracies to discredit Iran and sowing discord with its near neighbour Saudi Arabia.

"Yes, we have military capabilities that are different from any other country in the region," Egyptian daily al-Akhbar cited Mr Ahmadinejad as saying. "Iran is increasing in capability and advancement and therefore we are able to compete with Israel and the West and especially the United States.

"The US fears Iran's capability," he told the paper. "Iran will not permit (anyone from making) a move against it."

Iran's Islamic rulers, who say Israel has no right to exist, deny accusations that they are seeking nuclear weapons and have warned they will respond to any attacks by striking at Israel and US interests in the Gulf.

A senior US military official said on Friday that Iran had become the biggest threat to the US, and Israel's president said the military option to stop the Islamic republic from obtaining nuclear weapons was nearer.

Mr Ahmadinejad repeated that Iran does not own a nuclear bomb, but added that Israel's end was inevitable.

The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, is expected this week to issue its most detailed report yet on research in Iran seen as geared to developing atomic bombs.

"It is Israel that has about 300 nuclear warheads. Iran is only keen to have nuclear capability for peaceful means," he said, accusing Washington of lumping Iran with Syria, the Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza and Hizbollah in Lebanon. The US portrays the four as "the Axis of Evil to save the Zionist entity (Israel). But the Zionists are bound to go out of existence," he said.

Responding to a US claim that Iran was involved in a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "Iran is farthest from thinking of carrying out such crimes, but the US is always inventing conspiracies against Iran. The US fears any friendship between us and Saudi Arabia and therefore incites disagreements. To stop the US in its tracks we must deepen the elements of friendship ... We are ready for this and the relation between Saudi and Iran already exists and has not been cut off."