One of Iran's top military commanders warns any attack against Iran would start a new world war.
Iranian state media reported the comments by Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri Saturday.
General Jazayeri says unrestrained greed of the United States and Zionism are pushing the world to "the edge of a precipice."
He warned, in the case of an attack, "fake and artificial regimes" would be the first to be eliminated.
Iranand the United States have been at odds over Iran's nuclear program. Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes but the U.S. andits allies accuse Iran of working to develop a nuclear weapon.
Israelhas said a nuclear-armed Iran could threaten its existence. TheIsraeli air force carried out a large-scale exercise in June that wasinterpreted by many as a rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran'snuclear facilities.
The United Nations has also sanctioned Iranthree times because of its failure to comply with Security Councilorders to halt uranium enrichment.
Highly enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear weapons.
DeputyForeign Minister Ali Reza Sheik Attar told Iranian state media Fridaythe country now has 4,000 working nuclear centrifuges. Healso said another 3,000 centrifuges will soon be installed atIran's main nuclear site in Natanz.
The centrifuges could significantly boost Iran's ability to produce enriched uranium.