Iran will destroy Israel if Israel attacks Teheran, Iranian Deputy Chief of Staff Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned Tuesday in response to a threat issued last week by National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.

"We are not worried by the recent Israeli maneuvers, but if Israel wants to take any action against the Islamic republic, we will eliminate Israel from the universe," the Iranian Mehr agency quoted Ashtiani as saying.

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Ben-Eliezer had warned that "Iran will be wiped off the face of the earth if it dares to fire any missile at us."

Later in the week, Ben-Eliezer would not retract his statement: "I do not regret the threats I directed at Iran and its leaders. I am sick of receiving threats to Israel's existence on a daily basis."

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