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Iran tested more missiles in the Gulf on Thursday, state media said, and the US reminded Tehran that it was ready to defend its allies.

Washington, which accuses Tehran of seeking nuclear arms, said after Iran test-fired nine missiles on Wednesday there should be no more such tests if Iran wanted the world鈥檚 trust.

US leaders have not ruled out military options if diplomacy fails to assuage fears about Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme, which Tehran says is only to produce electricity.

Israel, long assumed to have its own nuclear arsenal, has sworn to prevent Iran from emerging as a nuclear-armed power. Last month it staged an air force exercise that stoked speculation about a possible assault on Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran has vowed to strike back at Tel Aviv, as well as US interests and shipping, if it is attacked, asserting that missiles fired during wargames under way in the Gulf included ones that could hit Israel and US bases in the region.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on a visit to the former Soviet republic of Georgia that no one should be confused about Washington鈥檚 commitment to protect its allies. 鈥淲e are also sending a message to Iran that we will defend American interests and . . . the interests of our allies,鈥� she said after meeting Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

鈥楲esson for enemies鈥�

Rice said a planned US missile defence shield, to be partly based in the Czech Republic and Poland, would dampen any threat of an attack from Iran. Russia opposes the project.

鈥淲e also are able to look to the future of a missile defence system that will make it more difficult for Iran to threaten (and) and be bellicose and say terrible things because their missiles won鈥檛 work,鈥� Rice said.

Iranian state TV and radio said the Revolutionary Guards 鈥� the ideologically driven wing of Iran鈥檚 armed forces 鈥� had fired ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and sea-to-air missiles overnight. Long-range missiles were also launched.

鈥淭he . . . manoeuvre brings power to the Islamic Republic of Iran and is a lesson for enemies,鈥� Guards Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Ali Jafari was quoted as saying.

Iran has threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for Gulf oil exports, if it is attacked. Thursday鈥檚 exercises involved divers and speedboats, as well as the launch of a high-speed torpedo called Hout, state media said.

Rattled markets

Commenting on Iran鈥檚 Gulf manoeuvres, Kuwait said it hoped wisdom would prevail on all sides. 鈥淭he region has had enough of continuous wars,鈥� Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khaled Jarallah was quoted by state news agency KUNA as saying.

On Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, he said: 鈥淲e hope it does not come to this.鈥�

Wednesday鈥檚 tests rattled global oil markets, pushing up the price of oil. Crude prices have dipped in recent days but have hit a series of record highs this year partly because of Iran tensions.

China urged restraint in the row over Iran鈥檚 nuclear plans, but did not echo Western rebukes over the missile firings.

鈥淲e express our concern about these developments,鈥� Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said of the tests.

Negotiations planned

He welcomed the prospect of fresh talks on the nuclear programme being pursued by Iran, the world鈥檚 fourth largest oil producer and China鈥檚 third biggest crude supplier.

The US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have offered Iran incentives to curb its nuclear work. Tehran rejects their demand that it suspend uranium enrichment.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, acting for the six powers, is expected to meet Iranian officials for talks on the package, but no time or place has been announced.

China and Russia, which is building Iran鈥檚 first, and so far only, nuclear power plant, have been resisting US-led calls for expanding UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Sanctions have made Western firms increasingly wary about investing. France鈥檚 Total said on Thursday it would not invest for now in a big gas deal due to the political risk.

Iran has brushed off the impact of Western caution saying it has a big enough cash pile from windfall oil earnings to carry out the project itself or find other interested parties. 鈥淭his is our message. We will proceed with development with or without them,鈥� Iranian Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari told journalists when asked about the latest comments from Total.

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