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Iran warns of "painful" reply if Israel attacks Reuters Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar was quoted on Tuesday as warning Israel of a "very painful" response if it launched a military strike over the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear programme. On Friday, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told an Israeli newspaper an attack on Iran looked "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of U.N. sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential. Asked about Mofaz's comments, Najjar was quoted by the state Iran daily newspaper as saying: "Our armed forces are at the height of their readiness and if anyone should want to undertake such a foolish job the response would be very painful." Mofaz's comments helped drive up oil prices by nearly 9 percent to a record $139 a barrel on Friday. Some Israeli political commentators have accused Mofaz of making the comments to advance his personal political ambitions. Najjar said Israeli officials "every now and then say things which amount to foolish claims". Iran, which has defied Western pressure to suspend its sensitive atomic work, has demanded action from the U.N. Security Council over Mofaz's comments.
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