Michel Abu Najm • Asharq Al-Awsat

TEHRAN, 21 June 2003 — The United States and Iran yesterday intensified their war of words, with Washington threatening military action against the Islamic Republic.

John Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, told BBC radio that the United States reserved the right to take military action against Iran over its nuclear program. He added, however, that any such move was “far from our minds” at present.

Military action was the last resort, Bolton said, but insisted that Iran could not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons capability.

Bolton said US President George W. Bush “has repeatedly said that all options are on the table. But that (military action) is not only not our preference, it is far from our minds.” Pressed on whether military action remained a possibility, Bolton said: “It has to be an option.

Iran remained defiant. Mohammad Yazdi, one of Iran’s most powerful men, warned the United States that “the Iranian people will stand against them until their last drop of blood”.

Delivering the Friday prayer sermon at a mosque here, he said that “rioters” arrested during demonstrations in the past 10 days should be considered “enemies of Allah” — a charge that carries the death penalty.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that his country has “encouraged, not instigated” the anti-establishment demonstrations.

“I ask the head of the judiciary and public prosecutors across Iran not to treat these people with compassion as they endangered the country’s security,” Yazdi said. “The judiciary should deal with these people as Mohareb (those who fight Allah) and not as Mokhalef (those who oppose Allah)”.

His call came as the protests appeared to have fizzled out across the country.