"This is a silly joke, just a psychological war," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

"The Israelis have a accurate appraisal of their own capabilities and Iran's capabilities. And they know that resorting to this will only translate into a decisive and irrevocable response to the Zionist regime," he added.

In recent weeks there has been a mounting war of words with Israel, which accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. The spat has increased speculation that the Jewish state may attempt a pre-emptive attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

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