Iranian supreme leader retorts US threats

Iranian Supreme Leader Seyed Ali Khamenei on Saturday retorted some recent accusations and threats made by senior US officials against Iran, terming them as "nonsense" and calling on the country to resist, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"US officials, speaking nonsense, accuse Iran of racism, supporting terrorism and violating human rights. However, everybody knows that the Americans themselves deserve these accusations," Khamenei was quoted as saying at a religious occasion of Shiite Muslims.

Khamenei also called on the whole nation to retort US officials' verbal hostility.

"US politicians, who are the ugliest symbols of the world arrogance, stupidly think that the Iranian nation will surrender to their bluffing and intimidation," Khamenei said.

"However, this nation is by far stronger than the first years of the Islamic Revolution and by relying on their faith, determination and unity, will never be intimidated by any threats," he warned.

Recently, US senior officials, including President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, made some hostile comments against Iran, which has raised wide imagination that Washington might launch attacks upon Iran in the near future.

Iran has warned that it would strongly stand up to any aggression.

Iran and the US, who had been close allies in 1970's, turned into enemies after the Islamic Revolution of Iran took place in 1979.

The US accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons and sponsoring terrorists, categorizing Iran into the so-called "axis of evil" and imposing harsh sanctions on the country.

Iran, in return, termed the US as enemies of the whole Islamic world.