Iranian Security Council Secretary Hasan Rouhani: U.S. Does Not Have Ability to Attack Iran

The following are excerpts from an interview with Hasan Rouhani, secretary of the Iranian Supreme Council for National Security. Jam-e Jam 1 TV aired this interview on March 1, 2005:

Hasan Rouhani: I don't think that America has the ability to attack Iran, and I don't think it has made any decisions on this matter. This doesn't mean that they don't have any plans in mind. In light of the situation in the region and in Iran, I don't think that the Americans will miscalculate and will want to attack Iran. If something like this were to happen, it would be a strategic miscalculation for America, and would cause it a lot of damage. Obviously, we are not interested in increasing tensions with America or fighting it. We want to live in peace with the entire world, and if there are problems they should be resolved by peaceful means.

The Israelis are in a much worse situation than the Americans. They have so many problems in the region. They know what kind of reaction there will be if Israel attacks Iran and what kind of calamity will befall Israel. I don't think that Israel is at all interested in attacking Iran. These are just threats intended to scare the (Iranian) people or senior officials. The Iranian people are not the kind to be shaken by these winds, nor are our senior officials. We don't want to do anything illegal. Everything we are doing is in accordance with international regulations and law. Nobody has the right to attack us, and if anyone miscalculates and attacks us, he will pay the price.