Ahmadinejad says Israel would not dare attack Iran

Dubai: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said that Israel "would not dare attack Iran", after Israel said it tested a missile following warnings against Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

"The Zionist regime ... would not dare attack Iran," Ahmadinejad told Al Jazeera television in remarks translated into Arabic, referring to Israel. "The Iranian response would make them regret it, and they know this."

"It knows that any attack on Iranian territories would prompt a fierce response," he added.

"The Zionist regime has always used all the capabilities of America and some Western countries ... still it has limited armament even after announcing this new weapon."

Missile test

Israel tested a missile earlier yesterday and urged the West to work harder to prevent "the appearance of a nuclear Iran".

"This criminal regime will not gain legitimacy through threats ... it has lost its philosophical reason to exist," Ahmadinejad said, adding that regional countries rejected Israel for occupying Palestinian territories.

Israel Radio said the missile tested was capable of carrying an "unconventional payload". Defence experts say this means it could carry a nuclear warhead.