The Revolutionary Guards said today Iran will strike Israel's nuclear facilities if Tel Aviv attacks the Islamic state, state television reported.
"If the Zionist Regime (Israel) attacks Iran, we will surely strike its nuclear facilities with our missile capabilities," Mohammad Ali Jafari, Guards commander-in-chief, told Iran's Arabic language al-Alam television.
The Revolutionary Guards are the ideologically driven wing of Iran's military with air, sea and land capabilities, and a separate command structure to regular units.
Iranian leaders often dismiss talk of a possible strike by Israel, saying it is not in a position to hreaten
Iran, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter. They say Iran would respond to any attack by targeting US interests and Israel.
The United States and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear bombs, a charge Tehran denies, and have not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the row.
Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear power, has repeatedly described Iran's nuclear programme as a threat to its existence.
Military experts say Iran rarely reveals enough detail about its new military equipment to determine its military capabilities.
Reuters