KEY POINTS:
TEHRAN - The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards yesterday threatened to deal heavier blows in future against the United States after Washington said it may label the force a terrorist group, according to news reports.
Local press in Tehran quoted Revolutionary Guards leader General Yahya Rahim Safavi saying he could understand Washington's ire towards the group because of their recent successes against the US.
The comments came as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a new verbal assault on Israel, denouncing it as the "flag of Satan" and saying it may be facing disintegration.
Four days after reports the US was considering listing the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group, Safavi was quoted as saying in the conservative daily Kayhan: "America will receive a heavier punch from the guards in the future.
"We will never remain silent in the face of US pressure and we will use our leverage against them."
There was no elaboration on what Safavi meant by the punch or the organisation's "leverage."
Washington has accused the Guards of supporting militias and insurgent groups attacking US forces in Iraq - charges Iran denies.
The fact that the remarks, made on Thursday in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, appeared in local newspapers rather than the official state news outlets suggests the comments are for domestic consumption.
US officials said last week that Washington may soon name the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist group, a move that would enable Washington to target its finances.
It would be the first time the US has placed the armed forces of a sovereign Government on its list of terrorist organisations.
In a statement published by Iran's Mehr news agency, the Revolutionary Guards condemned the US plan as "worthless resolutions" issued "dauntlessly and under baseless pretexts ... to damage this holy institution".
"Those who are enchanted by the material world fail to realise the depth of the spiritual power and iron determination of the devoted members of the Revolutionary Guards, which have roots in the religious beliefs of the people, and will witness the definite victory of the children of Islam against global infidelity," the statement said.
Tehran and Washington, which cut diplomatic ties shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, are embroiled in a deepening standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.
They also blame each other for bloodshed in Iraq.
The Revolutionary Guards have already brushed off the latest threat from Washington and have said they will grow in strength despite US efforts to isolate them.
Iran has threatened to strike US regional interests if attacked over its nuclear programme and Safavi has noted that Iranian missiles could hit warships operating anywhere in the Gulf and Oman Sea.
Tehran rejects Western accusations it is trying to build an atomic bomb and says its nuclear programme is meant for peaceful energy.
The two countries accuse each other of creating strife in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories.
The crisis in Iraq has pushed the arch-foes to hold rare face-to-face talks to find an end to the bloodshed there.
While Ahmadinejad has said Iran is not a threat to Israel, Iranian officials have said Tehran would respond swiftly to any Israeli attack.
Some analysts have speculated Israel may try to knock out Iran's atomic sites.
TERROR TACTICS
* US officials said last week that Washington may soon name the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist group, a move that would enable Washington to target its finances.
* The Revolutionary Guards responded by saying the threats were "worthless".
* The US has accused Iran and in particular the Revolutionary Guards of supporting, training and supplying weapons to insurgents in Iraq.
- Reuters
