Summary Iran will "annihilate" the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv if it comes under attack by the Jewish state.
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran will "annihilate" the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if it comes under attack by the Jewish state, the Islamic republic s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday.
"Every now and then the leaders of the Zionist regime threaten Iran with a military attack," Khamenei said in a live televised speech from the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, referring to Israel.
"They should know that if they commit such a blunder, the Islamic republic will annihilate Tel Aviv and Haifa," he said.
- Iran s supreme leader said he was not optimistic about proposals for direct talks with the United States about Iran s disputed nuclear programme, saying Washington did not want the issues resolved.
"I am not optimistic about these talks. Why? Because our past experiences show that talks for American officials does not mean for us to sit down and reach a logical solution.
What they mean by talks is that we sit down and talk until Iran accepts their viewpoint," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a New Year address broadcast live on state television.
