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Iran Parliament Speaker Dismisses Israeli Threats

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor's Barbara Slavin, Iran Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear installations would be "suicidal." The former chief Iranian nuclear negotiator also denied allegations that Iran has used a site called Parchin for nuclear work.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2nd R) shakes hands with Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani (3rd R) upon his arrival ahead of the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, August 29, 2012. REUTERS/Mohsen Norouzifard/Mehr News Agency/Handout (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

TEHRAN — Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani Friday dismissed Israeli threats to attack Iranian nuclear installations as “suicidal” and said that it would not make much difference to Iran who was elected president of the United States. In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor at Iran’s historic parliament chambers, Larijani, a member of a prominent Iranian religious family and Iran’s former chief nuclear negotiator, also denied allegations that Iran has used a site called Parchin for nuclear work. Larijani maintained that US, Turkish and Arab support for Syrian rebels was fueling the civil war in that country and said that Iran would not abandon its long-time ally, President Bashar al-Assad, despite the deaths of more than 20,000 people in Syria in the past 18 months. He accused the US of wanting “to make a new Benghazi,” referring to the Libyan opposition stronghold that was recognized by many countries before the downfall of long-time Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Excerpts from the interview follow:

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