Israel, Greece come under fire for drill to strike Iran

     There has been criticism worldwide of reports that Israel and Greece held joint military exercises this month to prepare for a possible air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The American Ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, told reporters that even though the US considers it unacceptable for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, Washington favors diplomacy and a diplomatic solution to the problem. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there is no proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, and he warned against unilateral action. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed Elbaradei, said he would resign if there is a military strike on Iran, which he warned would turn the region into a fireball. The Greek air force confirmed Friday it took part in joint training exercises with Israel off the southern island of Crete. The manoeuvers, codenamed Glorious Spartan 08, took place on May 28 and June 12. According to the Greek news agency, they involved simulated aerial combat, attacks on terrestrial targets, aerial refueling and search and rescue operations. The New York Times quoted US Administration officials as saying that more than 100 Israeli jets took part at the beginning of June in an exercise in the eastern Mediterranean. According to the report, the planes flew some 1,500 kilometers, the distance between Israel and the site for uranium enrichment in Natanz, Iran. US officials said the exercises could be taken as a demonstration that Israel is serious about the need to challenge Iran's nuclear program, and prepared to do so militarily. Israeli officials declined comment on the report. But the IDF issued a statement saying the Israel Air Force trains on a regular basis for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel. Iran warned Israel of a strong blow if it takes forceful measures. Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said that if enemies especially Israelis and their supporters in the US would want to use a language of force, they should rest assured that they will receive a strong blow in the mouth. Khatami's speech was broadcast live on state radio. (09,07)