Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that
Western accusations Iran seeks nuclear weapons are a "sheer lie," and he
declared that attempts to punish Tehran would jeopardize the world's oil supply.
The implied threat was dismissed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
who said Iran was too dependent on oil revenues to disrupt the flow of crude.
She also put Iran on notice that the incentives offered by the West to suspend
its nuclear program are not open-ended, although she declined to say Tehran had
a firm deadline to respond.
Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, made his comments in a
speech broadcast live on state radio Sunday.
"If you make any mistake (punish or attack Iran), definitely shipment of
energy from this region will be seriously jeopardized," Khamenei said,
addressing Western nations.
Khamenei said the United States and its allies would be unable to secure oil
shipments passing out of the Gulf through the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the
Indian Ocean. At its narrowest point, the strait separating Iran from the
Arabian peninsula is 44 miles wide.
"You will never be able to protect the energy supply in this region. You will
not be able to do it," he said.
Khamenei, however, did not specify how oil supplies would be disrupted, and
he insisted to the assembled throng that Iran would not be "the initiator of
war."
In a television interview later Sunday, Rice sought to play down Khamenei's
remarks.
"I think that we shouldn't place too much emphasis on a threat of this kind,"
she said on "Fox News Sunday." "Obviously it would be a very serious problem for
Iran if oil were to be disrupted on the market."
Last week, Rice said the United States was prepared to join the European
Union and Germany in negotiations with Iran only if Tehran agreed to stop
enriching uranium. The Western nations fear Iran is using what it calls a
peaceful civilian nuclear program as a cover to build atomic weapons.
Khamenei said Iran was not a threat to any country.
"We have not threatened any neighbor," he said, calling the accusation that
Iran is seeking an atom bomb "a sheer lie."
"It's against Islamic teachings," he said.
However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly has questioned
Israel's right to exist and said in October the Jewish state should be "wiped
off the map." Israel is believed to possess the world's sixth-largest nuclear
arsenal.
Khamenei's harsh rhetoric came a day after Ahmadinejad said a breakthrough in
negotiations was possible. He welcomed the U.S. offer to join talks but rejected
preconditions. Ahmadinejad attended Khamenei's speech Sunday.
Contrary to Khamenei's remarks, other Iranian officials have repeatedly ruled
out using oil as weapon. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter and has
the second-largest reserves in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries.
Iranian political analyst Saeed Leilaz said Khamenei's remarks were more
important for what he did not say.
"He didn't close the door for dialogue or understanding with the U.S.,"
Leilaz said. "Khamenei even didn't close the door for possibility of Iran
suspending uranium enrichment. Iran is after maximum concessions from America."
Rajabali Mazrouei, a former reformist lawmaker and political analyst, said
Iran would be unable to close the strait.
"Khamenei's comments should be assessed as part of usual exchange harsh of
rhetoric between Iran and the United States," he said. "Iran is in a position to
temporarily disrupt oil shipments from the region but it will not be in a
position to close the Strait of Hormuz permanently."
Khamenei's remarks appeared to reflect a deep concern for his country's
future energy supplies. Despite its huge oil reserves, Iran already must import
a large portion of the gasoline and diesel it needs because domestic refinery
capacity is insufficient.
"That a country has no right to achieve proficiency in nuclear technology
means it has to beg a few Western and European countries for energy in the next
20 years," he said. "Which honest leader is ready to accept this?"
After months of threats and counter-threats, Washington said last week it was
prepared to join talks with Iran if it stopped enriching uranium, which can
produce fuel for electricity-generating reactors or, if sufficiently processed,
the fissile core for a warhead.
In conjunction with the U.S. offer, the five permanent U.N. Security Council
members and Germany drew up a fresh economic incentive package for Iran last
week but made it conditional on an end to enrichment. Iran could face sanctions
if it declines the package.
Ahmadinejad said the Iranians would study the offer carefully but rejected
preconditions.
Rice said the offer is not open-ended.
"I'm not one for timelines and specific schedules, but I think it's fair to
say that we really do have to have this settled over a matter of weeks, not
months," she said.
Javier Solana, the chief EU diplomat, was expected in Tehran soon to deliver
the new incentive package.
