Teheran - Iran yesterday vowed to pursue its uranium enrichment programme, even as its military chiefs warned that the Islamic republic would shut down a vital Gulf oil lane if it came under attack.

Government spokesman Gholan Hossein Elham told reporters at his weekly press conference yesterday that Teheran's 'stand regarding its peaceful nuclear programme has not changed'.

His statement came a day after Iran delivered to the European Union its response to an international proposal to curb its programme in exchange for economic incentives.

The content of the response has not been made public, but a European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was not 'something that made us jump up and down for joy'.

'We are in a holding mode until we get a chance to look at it more closely,' the official said.

Iran insists the nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes while the United States and some of its allies fear the programme could produce nuclear weapons.

Missile threat

'The Guards are equipped with the most advanced missiles that can strike the enemies' vessels and naval equipment with fatal blows.'
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Speculation was rife that Israel could be planning a military strike against these nuclear sites to force Teheran to halt its controversial atomic activities.

Warning that the Islamic republic would shut the Strait of Hormuz if it came under attack, the chief of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards militia, General Mohammed Ali Jafari, warned that his forces would also use 'blitzkrieg tactics' to ward off such an event.

'The Guards are equipped with the most advanced missiles that can strike the enemies' vessels and naval equipment with fatal blows,' he was quoted by Fars news agency as saying.

The agency also quoted army chief Hasan Firouzabadi who said: 'All the countries should know that if Iran's interests in the region are ignored, it is natural that we will not allow others to use it (the strait).'

However, Iran's armed forces joint chief of staff stressed his country's priority was that the Strait of Hormuz remain open.

The strait, between Iran and Oman, is a vital conduit for energy supplies, with as much as 40 per cent of the world's crude passing through the waterway.

Any military attack aimed at curbing Teheran's nuclear work would push crude prices to 'unpredictable' highs, its Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari was quoted on his ministry's website as saying.

US President George W. Bush has not ruled out using force in the nuclear stand-off between Iran and the West, but emphasised that he preferred a diplomatic solution.

The new commander of the US Fifth Fleet, Vice-Admiral William Gortney, said yesterday that the American naval presence in the region was 'a very clear message that we are here to maintain security and to provide stability'.

AP, AFP, Reuters