Rouhani says group behind military parade attack financed by Gulf states

President Hassan Rouhani said onSunday Iran was ready to confront the United States and its GulfArab allies, a day after an attack on an Iranian military paradekilled 25 people, including 12 members of the eliteRevolutionary Guards.

Speaking before leaving Tehran to attend the annual UNGeneral Assembly in New York, Rouhani accused U.S.-backed GulfArab states of providing financial and military support foranti-government ethnic Arab groups in Iran.

"America is acting like a bully toward the rest of theworld ... and thinks it can act based on brute force," saidRouhani, who engineered Iran's 2015 nuclear deal that ushered ina cautious detente with Washington before tensions flared anewwith President Donald Trump's decision to quit the accord.

"But our people will resist and the government is ready toconfront America. We will overcome this situation (sanctions)and America will regret choosing the wrong path."

U.S. Ambassador to theUnited Nations Nikki Haley on Sunday rejected theIranianfingerpointing at Washington over the attack,sayingIranian leaders should look closer to home.

Asked about Rouhani's comments, she toldtold CNN: "He needs to look at his own base to figure out where that's coming from. He can blame usall he wants. The thing he's got to do is look at the mirror."

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the United ArabEmirates' charge d'affaires over reported "comments" made about thebloodshed in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

State-run PressTV said the action was taken over comments byan unnamed UAE official, without giving details.

UAEdenies suggestionof involvement

A senior United Arab Emiratesofficial on Sunday denied what hecalled the "unfortunate" and "formal incitement against the UAEfromwithin Iran."

"The UAE's historical position against terrorism andviolence is clear and Tehran's allegations are baseless,"Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for the United ArabEmiratesAnwarGargashsaid in a tweet.

The Gulf Arab state of Qatar, which is at odds with U.S.allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE, condemned the assault on themilitary parade, which wounded at least 70 people.

Gunmen fired on a viewing stand where Iranian officials hadgathered to watch an annual event marking the start of theIslamic Republic's 1980-88 war with Iraq. Soldiers crawled asgunfire crackled. Women and children fled for their lives.

It was one of the worst ever attacks against the IslamicRevolutionary Guards Corps, the sword and shield of Shiaclerical rule in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

It answers to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and runsits own business empire in Iran, a major oil producer which hasbeen relatively stable compared with Arab states that havegrappled with unrest since uprisings in 2011.

Since pulling out of the big powers' nuclear pact with Iranin May, Trump has reimposed U.S. sanctions meant to isolateTehran and force it to negotiate tougher curbs on its nuclearand ballistic missile programs. Iran has ruled this out.

'Unreal fantasies'

"America wants to cause chaos and unrest in our country sothat it can return to this country, but these are unrealfantasies and they will never achieve their goals," saidRouhani.

ShiaIran is at odds with Western-allied Sunni MuslimSaudi Arabia for predominance in the Middle East.

The regional powers back opposing sides in the conflicts inYemen and Syria as well as rival political groups in Iraq andLebanon, with the Guards defending Iranian interests.

"The small puppet countries in the region are backed byAmerica, and the United States is provoking them and giving themthe necessary capabilities," said Rouhani.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia onRouhani's allegations. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emiratessay that Iran poses a security threat to the Middle East andtries to dominate the region.

Iran denies the accusations and calls for regional states toguarantee the oil-producing region's security without theinterference of the United States and other Western powers.

"Iran's answer (to this attack) is forthcoming within theframework of law and our national interests," said Rouhani,adding that the United States would regret its "aggressiveness."

An Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement called the AhvazNational Resistance, which seeks a separate state in oil-richKhuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The Persian Gulf states are providing monetary, militaryand political support for these groups," said Rouhani.

Islamic State militants also claimed responsibility. Neitherclaim provided evidence. All four attackers were killed.

"Hopefully we will overcome these sanctions with the leastpossible costs and make America regret its aggressivenesstoward other countries, and particularly Iran," said Rouhani.