Washington fears Tehran's growing military power because it is now able to compete with Israel and the West, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in remarks published by an Egyptian newspaper on Monday. The Iranian leader accused the USA of inventing conspiracies to discredit Iran and sowing discord with Saudi Arabia.
"Yes, we have military capabilities that are different from any other country in the region," Egyptian newspaper al-Akhbar quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. "Iran is increasing in capability and advancement and therefore we are able to compete with Israel and the West and especially the United States."
"The U.S. fears Iran's capability," he stated. "Iran will not permit (anyone from making) a move against it."
Ahmadinejad insisted that his country does not own a nuclear bomb, but said Israel's end was inevitable. "It is Israel that has about 300 nuclear warheads. Iran is only keen to have nuclear capability for peaceful means," he said.
The U.S. portrays those four as "the Axis of Evil to save the Zionist entity (Israel). But the Zionists are bound to go out of existence," he said.
The Iranian leader also said: "Iran is farthest from thinking of carrying out such crimes but the U.S. is always inventing conspiracies against Iran".
"The U.S. fears any friendship between us and Saudi Arabia and therefore incites disagreements," he said. "To stop the U.S. in its tracks we must deepen the elements of friendship... We are ready for this and the relation between Saudi and Iran already exists and has not been cut off."
