Iran to give "devastating" response to any attack

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will give a "devastating" response to any attack on the country, its defense minister was quoted as saying on Sunday.

The New York Times on Friday quoted U.S. officials as saying Israel had carried out a large military exercise, apparently a rehearsal for a potential bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities.

Iran's Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the Israeli exercise was part of "psychological warfare" against the Islamic Republic, state television said.

Iran had never initiated conflict but would resort to "all means available" if it was attacked: "Iran will come up with a devastating ... response without any time limit to any hostile measure against our country," Najjar was quoted as saying.

Western powers suspect Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear bombs. Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, has described Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence.

Earlier this month, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told an Israeli newspaper an attack on Iran looked "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of United Nations sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential.

Tehran, which does not recognize Israel and regularly predicts its demise, says its nuclear work is a peaceful drive to generate electricity.

Israel bombed an Iraqi reactor in 1981 and an Israeli air raid on Syria last September razed what the United States said was a nascent nuclear reactor built with North Korean help. Syria denied having any such facility.

Many analysts say Iran's nuclear sites are too numerous, distant and fortified for Israel to take on alone.

Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham on Saturday called Israel a "dangerous regime" but said any Israeli attack on Iran would be an "impossible act."

Iran's Shahab-3 missile, with a range of 2,000 km (1,250 miles), is capable of hitting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, Iranian officials say.

(Reporting by Hasham Kalantari; Writing by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Charles Dick)