Iran 'will cut off hands of aggressors'
Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"
The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, today threatened to "cut off the hands of any aggressor" if the country was attacked.
In a speech to mark Iran's army day, he told officers the country "has to be constantly ready, equipped and powerful".
His speech - which was delivered prior to an armed march-past reminiscent of the cold war - said Iran "has to be equipped with the latest technologies, recognise the enemy and constantly be vigilant".
The Iranian president's remarks came less than a week after Tehran announced it had joined the "nuclear club", claiming to have successfully enriched uranium.
They also followed reports that the US government was considering nuclear strikes on Iranian nuclear bases.
"Iran's enemies know your courage, faith and commitment to Islam and the land of Iran has created a powerful army that can powerfully defend the political borders and the integrity of the Iranian nation and cut the hand of any aggressor and place the sign of disgrace on their forehead," Mr Ahmadinejad said.
The march-past showcased Iran's military forces, including thousands of troops, tanks, helicopters, fighter planes, submarines, torpedoes and missiles.
It was staged opposite the tomb of the Iranian revolution's founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, close to the graves of tens of thousands of people killed during the 980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
However, the Shahab-3 missile, Iran's longest-range weapon with a purported range of 1,250 miles - which would put Israel and US bases in the Persian Gulf within reach - was absent from the display.
Iran has stepped up its weapons programme in recent years, and claims to be developing sonar-invisible torpedoes and radar-evading missiles.
Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran's army was intended only to "serve peace and security for mankind". "It is humble towards friends and a shooting star toward enemies," he added.
International concerns over Iran's nuclear programme have been heightened since the president's election last year.
The enrichment technology announced last week can be used to further enrich uranium to a stage at which it is capable of being used in a nuclear bomb.
However, analysts believe Iran could be decades away from being able to achieve weapons.
Tehran says its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful energy generation, but the US claims it is attempting to develop atomic weapons.
Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency have called on Mr Ahmadinejad to halt Iran's enrichment programme, but Tehran marked a visit by the IAEA chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, last week by saying it would not retreat "one iota" from its nuclear ambitions.
Following the visit, Mr ElBaradei said IAEA observers had not seen Iran diverting nuclear material for use in weapons, but that the picture was "hazy and unclear".
The five permanent UN security council members and Germany - the so-called five plus one group - are meeting in Moscow today to discuss Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
A Chinese envoy this morning called on Iran to back down from its nuclear stance, but the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Hamid-Reza Asefi, said the five plus one nations had most to lose from the situation.
"The meeting is more important for the participating countries than us, because they will be the ones that will suffer if they do not act wisely and [they] make a mistake again," Mr Asefi said.
Concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions and the potential that Tehran could turn off the tap on its oil supplies drove oil prices to their highest-ever level in London today, with Brent crude leaping 74 cents to $72.20 (£40.73) a barrel in early trading.
Dan Gillerman, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, yesterday described Iran, alongside Syria and the Palestinian Authority's Hamas government, as a new "axis of terror".
He said recent statements by the Iranian and Syrian governments were "clear declarations of war" against Israel.
In a speech on Friday, Mr Ahmadinejad described Israel as a "rotten tree" which would be destroyed by a coming "storm". He last year called for the country to be "wiped off the map".
announce- obwieszczać
capable of- zdolny do
commitment- oddanie, zaangażowanie
consider- rozważać
deliver (a speech)- wygłaszać (mowę)
envoy- wysłannik
evade- unikać, omijać
humble- pokorny
march-past- przemarsz
missile- pocisk
prior to- przed
purport- twierdzić, zapewniać
reminiscent of- przypominający o, przywodzący na myśl
retreat- wycofywać się
rotten- zgniły, zdemoralizowany
showcase- pokazywać, demonstrować, wystawiać
stance- pozycja, stanowisko
vigilant- czujny
wipe off- wymazać
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