Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar was quoted today as warning Israel of a "very painful" response if it launched a military strike over the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear programme.
On Friday, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told an Israeli newspaper an attack on Iran looked "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of UN sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential.
Asked about those comments, Mr Najjar was quoted as saying: "Our armed forces are at the height of their readiness and if anyone should want to undertake such a foolish job the response would be very painful."
Some Israeli political commentators have accused Mr Mofaz of making the comments to advance his personal political ambitions.
Iran, which has defied Western pressure to suspend its sensitive atomic work, has demanded action from the UN Security Council over Mr Mofaz's comments.
The United States accuses Iran of secretly seeking to build nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear programme is solely for power generation to meet the demands of its oil-rich economy.
Washington says it wants a diplomatic solution to the standoff but has not ruled out military action if that were to fail.
Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, bombed an Iraqi reactor in 1981.