Iran pledges 'crushing' response against any Israeli attack

Iran will retaliate with a "crushing" response against any Israeli attack, a commander said according to an Iranian news agency linked to the country's top security body.

"If Israel carries out attacks against Iran, our armed forces will immediately attack all centres, bases, routes, and spaces used to carry out the aggression," Gholamali Rashid said during a military manoeuvre which started on Sunday, nournews added.

Iran has accused Israel of several attacks on facilities linked to its nuclear programme and killing its nuclear scientists over the past years. Israel has neither denied nor confirmed the allegations.

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Opposing efforts by world powers to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear, Israel has long threatened military action against its arch enemy, Iran, if diplomacy fails to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear bomb. The Islamic Republic says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

Indirect talks between Iran and the United States to reinstate the nuclear pact have made little discernible progress since they resumed last month for the first time since Iran's hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, was elected in June.

The talks are expected to resume this year, while some officials have mentioned Dec. 27 as a tentative date.