Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today mocked US accusations that Iran was an undemocratic haven for terrorists and warned a military attack on Iran would be suicidal.
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"The American threats are not new. They have threatened ussince the beginning of the Islamic revolution," Khamenei said ina speech to mark the 14th anniversary of the death of AyatollahRuhollah Khomeini, the founding father of the Islamic Republic.
"They know that militarily attacking Iran and the Iraniannation would mean suicide for the aggressor," he told thousandsof Iranians gathered at Khomeini's vast mausoleum on thesouthwestern outskirts of Tehran.
"In their global propaganda they're attacking Iran andsaying Iran is supporting terrorists. This is a shameless lie,"Khamenei said.
Washington has hardened its accusations against Iran inrecent weeks. US officials say they believe Iran is offering ahaven for senior al Qaeda members, seeking nuclear weapons andinterfering in post-war Iraq. Iran denies the charges.
Some Pentagon hawks are said to be pushing for Washington toadopt a much tougher line against Iran, including backingefforts to destabilise its clerical establishment.
But Khamenei, who succeeded Khomeini in 1989 and has thelast word on state affairs, said Washington would not dare toattack Iran.
The crowd interrupted his speech with chants of "Death toAmerica" and "We are ready to sacrifice our lives for theleader."
Iranian officials say they have caught and deported around500 members of what it calls the "perverted and fanatic" alQaeda group in the past year and is currently interrogatinganother batch of suspects.
Khamenei said US calls for greater democracy in Iran was"one of the world's biggest jokes". Unlike many other countriesin the Islamic world, Iranian public officials are eitherdirectly or indirectly elected, he said.
"(The Americans) deal with apostate dictatorships andgovernments who came to power through coups because they obeythem but they criticise the Islamic Republic because it does notwant to accept their dominance," he said.
He said Washington was acting as badly as deposed Iraqileader Saddam Hussein by not allowing the Iraqis to choose theirown government.
"What's the difference between Saddam and you? He was anapostate dictator and you are the same. You are pushing theIraqi nation step by step to confront you," he said.
US and British officials have warned Iran not to interferein the post-Saddam power vacuum by exploiting its influence withIraq's Shi'ite Muslim majority.
"They say they are worried about Iran's interference inIraq. Well we are worried about your presence in Iraq," Khameneisaid.