Iran vows to 'blow up the heart of Israel' if attacked

Tensions increased in the Middle East on Friday as a top official with Iran's Revolutionary Guard promised to 'blow up the heart of Israel' if attacked by U.S. or Israeli forces.

As the international community awaits the latest Iranian nuclear facility inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency on October 25, Iran sought to warn the world that any attack on its nuclear ambitions would be met with a counter-assault against Israel. A top official with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards vowed to "blow up the heart of Israel" if Iran was to be struck by U.S. or Israeli forces. The comments came as IAEA officials acknowledged that Iran is likely to put up obstacles or to further deceive the agency. "We hope Iran strikes a new, forthcoming posture. But we're prepared for it not to. Given Iran's years of foot-dragging, obfuscation and just plain deception, it would be naive to expect smooth sailing ahead," a senior Western diplomat told Reuters. "This will be a long, hard slog." U.S. and Israeli officials believe that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, but Iran insists its nuclear interests are for peaceful civilian purposes.