Greece denies hostility toward Iran
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=60966§ionid=351020104
The Greek defense ministry
has issued a statement, reassuring that its joint military maneuver with Israel was by
no means hostile.
In the first week of June,
100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters reportedly took part in an exercise over the
eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which was interpreted as a dress rehearsal
for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear installations.
The statement by the Greek
defense minister stated that the recent military maneuvers were part of regular
military training sessions carried out within the framework of Greek-Israeli
military cooperation and were by no means hostile toward any nation.
In their alleged exercise,
the Israeli jets flew a range of more than 900 miles, roughly the distance from
Israeli airfields to an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility in the central
Iranian city of Natanz,
prompting world media to question Israel's motives.
In response to the threat
posed by Israel,
senior Iranian commander, Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari,
has said that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps is equipped with cutting-edge
military possibilities to counter any offense against the Islamic Republic.
Israel has accused Iran of
'producing bomb-grade uranium' on many occasions, repeatedly threatening the
country with war.
This is while Israel bars
inspectors from competent international organizations, the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) in particular, to visit its nuclear facilities. As the
only nuclear- armed country in the Middle East, Israel is believed to possess a
nuclear arsenal of 200-400 warheads.
Iran has persisted in its
longstanding position that its nuclear activities are aimed at peaceful
application of nuclear technology, particularly in a bid to meet its growing
need for electricity.
In the numerous reports so
far issued by the IAEA, no mention has been made of any suspicious activity by Iran to warrant the pressure being applied on
the country by the US
and its allies.