http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961279625&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFullIran plays down threats to attack Israel
The Iranian military played down threats by a top Revolutionary Guards commander that Israel would be the Islamic state's first target if attacked by US forces over its nuclear plans, a newspaper said on Thursday.
The United States, which accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, says it wants the standoff solved diplomatically but has refused to rule out military action. Iran says it is pursuing only nuclear power generation.
"Israel will be the first target on our list if the United States launches an evil attack against us," said Revolutionary Guards Rear Admiral Mohammad-Ebrahim Dehqani on Tuesday.
But Alireza Afshar, deputy chief of the military staff, dismissed the remarks.
"What he said was his personal view and has no validity as far as the Iranian military officials are concerned," the Kayhan newspaper quoted Afshar as saying.