In These New Times

Fars News Agency

17th November, 2011

Germany Repeats Strong Opposition to US, Israeli Rhetoric against Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Economics Minister Phillip Rosler dismissed the US and Israeli war rhetoric against Iran, saying their country is strongly opposed to any military action against the Islamic Republic, as a major regional country.

The rift between Germany and Israel over how to sanction Iran is also playing out on the military front. While pro-Israeli EU diplomats and officials were trying to boost anti-Iran feelings at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday to rally support for a military action against Iran, Westerwelle categorically rejected it.

Westerwelle told the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels that his country’s opts for trade options and sanction, while Rosler said he favors boycott measures against Iran, with the caveat that “the fulfillment of previously authorized contracts are not overly affected”.

Germany’s annual trade with the Islamic Republic hovers at around 4 billion euros, making it Iran’s No. 1 EU trade partner.

Westerwelle and Rosler are members of the Free Democratic Party, whose small- and medium-business constituency, including the party’s foreign policy spokesman Rainer Stinner, has strongly resisted crippling sanctions on Iranian trade. Many FDP supporters are involved in the German- Iranian business relationship.

Even with regard to the sanctions measure, the Merkel administration has showed no appetite to sanction Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps or Iran’s Central Bank as demanded by the US and Israel.

Earlier this month, Westerwelle warned against a debate about a military strike against Iran, stressing that such reports strengthen the leadership of the Islamic Republic rather than weakening it.

“I warn against floating the idea of military options,” Westerwelle said in an interview with a local newspaper, the Hamburger Abendblatt. “These are debates…that strengthen the Iranian leadership rather than weaken it.”

He made the comments several days after the Israeli media was widely speculating on the possibility that Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear program. The speculations were based on unverified claims that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have been lobbying for ministerial support for the strike.

The Israeli government has reportedly ordered a probe into leaks to the media which caused these unbridled speculations.

Iranian officials have dismissed the threats, but meantime, warned that Tehran would give a crushing response to any aggressive move.

“Today Iran’s powerful forces are stronger than the past and the alien forces are well aware that any illegal and adventurist action against the Islamic Republic will face a crushing response,” Deputy Head of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Logistic and Industrial Research General Mohammad Hejazi told FNA on Wednesday.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday the US and Israel are seeking to rally international support for an attack on Tehran because Iran is a very powerful country with huge capacities and capabilities and the US and Israel are unable to wage an attack on the country alone.

Ahmadinejad, in an interview with Egypt’s state-owned Al-Akhbar newspaper, lashed out at Israel after the Zionist regime’s president, Shimon Peres, warned at the weekend that an attack on Iran is becoming increasingly likely.

Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy, is “bound to collapse”, Ahmadinejad said.

“Iran’s capabilities are increasing and it is progressing, and for that reason it has been able to compete in the world. Now Israel and the West, particularly America, fear Iran’s capabilities and role,” he said.

“Therefore they are trying to gather international support for a military operation to stop (Iran’s) role. The arrogance should know that Iran will not allow them to take any action against it,” he said.