U.S. has enough nukes to destroy planet several times: Iranian defense minister

TEHRAN, Nov. 23 (MNA) -- Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that the United States possesses thousands of nuclear warheads, which is enough to destroy the Earth several times. Vahidi made the remarks in Tehran on Tuesday during the first ceremony commemorating deminer martyrs, which was attended by the deputy commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, a group of commanders and officials of mine clearance operations, and family members of deminer martyrs. Vahidi praised the deminer martyrs for all the sacrifices they made and said that the deminer martyrs were bravehearted men who went to another front after the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war ended. He said the deminer martyrs provided “live evidence” of the Iranian nation’s nature of resistance. Commenting on the various resolutions issued against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the arrogant powers, Vahidi said, “It is ridiculous that those countries whose hands are stained with the blood of other nations and drop atomic bombs nonchalantly are speaking about human rights and call the noble nation of Iran people who violate human rights.” “Today, infidels who are only concerned about their own interests have become defenders of human rights, and countries that manufacture weapons of mass destruction issue resolutions against Iran and say that Iran is trying to produce such weapons,” he stated. Responding to the allegations that Iran sent special artillery shells for chemical weapons to Libya, he said that Western countries facilitated the chemical weapons program of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, which allowed him to attack Halabja with chemical weapons, and no one said anything, but now they condemn Iran and claim it possesses chemical weapons. He also expressed hope that Iran’s minefield clearance operations would be completed by March 2012.