Iran threatens global retaliation if US attacks

Iran's supreme leader has boldly warned the United States that it would be "harmed" across the globe if it decided to attack the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear programme. The stern warning came as hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed the regime would resist any UN Security Council demands for a halt in uranium enrichment, at the centre of fears the country could acquire nuclear weapons. "The Americans should know that if they launch an assault against Islamic Iran, their interests in every possible part of the world will be harmed," Ayatollah Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television. "The Iranian nation will give a double response to any strike," the top cleric warned in one of his toughest threats ever.