Iran vows "severe" response if US attacks

ABU DHABI, May 14 (Reuters) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today threatened ''severe'' retaliation if the United States attacked his country, which is locked in a standoff with the West over its nuclear programme.

''They realise that if they make such a mistake the retaliation of Iran would be severe and they will repent,'' Ahmadinejad told a news conference in the United Arab Emirates.

He was speaking through an interpreter.

''All people know they cannot strike us. Iran is capable of defending itself. It is a strong country,'' said Ahmadinejad.

He said the West could not stop Tehran pursuing its nuclear energy programme. ''Superpowers cannot prevent us from owning this energy.'' The United States, which has a strong military presence in the Gulf, accuses Iran of wanting to produce nuclear weapons and has sought tougher UN sanctions against Tehran. Iran says it wants only to generate electricity to allow more oil exports.

Using stronger language than yesterday when he called for U.S. troops to leave the region, Ahmadinejad said Gulf countries should ''get rid of'' foreign forces, which he blamed for insecurity in the region.

''We in the Persian Gulf are faced by difficulties and enemies. Those do not want the region to live in safety ...

peace can be achieved by getting rid of these forces,'' he said.

''They intervene in the region and make it insecure. They claim that lack of security is the reason for their presence (but) the problem is the intervention of foreign powers.'' CHENEY VISIT Ahmadinejad was speaking during a trip to the UAE, an ally of Washington, just days after a visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney.

Cheney met officials from the UAE and its larger neighbour Saudi Arabia to discuss issues including Iran, which he has described as a major concern to Sunni Arab states.

The UAE, which with its Gulf Arab neighbours has expressed concern about Tehran's nuclear plans, yesterday voiced support for a moderate approach to Iran's crisis with the West.

The UAE and Tehran have full diplomatic ties and are major trade partners despite a three-decade dispute over three strategic islands near the entrance to the Gulf, through which a third of the world's sea-borne crude oil supplies pass.

Tension between the United States and Iran has raised regional fears of a possible military confrontation that could hit Gulf economies and threaten vital oil exports.

Ahmadinejad said Iran had agreed to talk to the United States about Iraq to help the Iraqi people.

''The Americans, in order to solve the security situation in Iraq, requested to talk to Iran. In order to support the Iraqi people we will talk to them,'' he said.

''It (the meeting) will take place in Baghdad in the presence of the Iraqi government,'' he said, adding that a date for the talks had yet to be set.

The White House said yesterday that US and Iranian officials would meet in the next few weeks in Baghdad about security in Iraq, confirming a similar announcement by Tehran.

''They know that their plans have failed in Iraq, their vision is wrong. As long as you are plotting against the Iraqi people, failure will be there day after day,'' said Ahmadinejad.

REUTERS AB RK1620