Iran's UN envoy Mohammad Khazaei warns Israel of a "crushing response," should it initiate any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic, Press TV reported.
"If the Zionist regime (Israel) attempts to initiate the slightest act of aggression against Iran, it will receive a crushing response," IRNA quoted Khazaei as saying on Friday.
He said Iran does not welcome tension but in confronting its enemies, it adopts "strong stances" due to the "solidarity of its nation, divine guidance and the Leader [of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei]."
"Enemies want to bring the Iranian nation down to its knees by resorting to any means possible [ranging] from military threats to soft war. Even certain neighboring states, who are afraid of the weakening of the pillars of their corrupt power, have no objection to being equipped by their masters, the US and Britain, against our country," Iran's ambassador to the UN said.
Khazaei added that Iran had been exposed to the "strongest of pressures" but has never yielded once and would continue to remain proud and dignified.
He reiterated Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy and said the dispute over Tehran's nuclear case was an "excuse to exert pressure on the country."
Khazaei criticized "nuclear discrimination" against Iran while "Israel has 230 nuclear warheads" and "Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are deemed atomic and military powers."