Iran hits back in war of words about war

By Edmund Blair

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran, responding to Western debate about the possibility of war over its nuclear plans, said on Wednesday it would use any means to defend itself if attacked and could bomb Israel if the Jewish state launched a strike.

Its latest swipes came despite French efforts to row back from a comment by its foreign minister that publicly raised the spectre of war over Tehran's disputed nuclear activities.

The semi-official Fars News Agency quoted an air force commander as saying Iran had drawn up a plan to bomb Israel if the Jewish state attacked it first.

Some analysts have speculated that Israel could seek to stage a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, where Israel and Western nations believe Tehran is developing technology to build bombs. Iran denies the charge.

"We have drawn up a plan so that, in the event of foolishness by this (Israeli) regime, Iran's bombers can retaliate by attacking Israel's soil," Mohammad Alavi, deputy commander for air force operations, was quoted as saying.

The White House said Alavi's comments were "totally unprovoked and unnecessary".

"I won't ascribe motives to them but it does seem provocative. I would tell you that Israel doesn't want war with its neighbors," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.

Earlier, when asked if Iran would block the Hormuz Strait, the world's most important waterway for oil shipments, if attacked, government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham dismissed it as "far-fetched" that anybody would take "this foolish option".