Iran will respond to any oil, military threats: Khamenei

TEHRAN - Agence France-Presse

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gestures as he speaks to his supporters in Tehran January 9, 2012. REUTERS Photo

Iran has its "own threats" to respond to any military attack or sanctions against its oil exports, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today.

"In response to threats of oil embargo and war, we have our own threats which will be implemented at the right time, if necessary," he said in a televised speech as he led traditional Friday prayers in Tehran.
 His comments came amid heightened speculation that Israel -- with or without US help -- was contemplating air strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. The West has also ramped up sanctions aimed at severely curbing Iran's vital oil exports.

Khamenei, who spoke as part of events marking the anniversary of his country's 1979 Islamic revolution, focused on warnings by arch-foe the United States that it was mulling "all options" -- including war -- to undercut Iran's nuclear programme.
 
"They have threatened that all 'options are on the table'... Threats of war are detrimental to the United States, and carrying out a war would be 10 times more detrimental for that country," he said.