Iran to “break the leg” of enemies: Ahmadinejad

Reuters: Having repeatedly vowed to “cut off the hand” of any attacker, Iran’s president shifted to the leg on Friday to underline his determination to resist Western pressure over its nuclear program. TEHRAN (Reuters) – Having repeatedly vowed to “cut off the hand” of any attacker, Iran’s president shifted to the leg on Friday to underline his determination to resist Western pressure over its nuclear program.

“You, the enemies of the Iranian nation, know that this nation will break the leg of anyone who wants to violate its rights,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a rally in the southeastern province of Kerman.

“We will not be harmed by your opposition and it will be you who … will be harmed,” Ahmadinejad, known for his fiery anti-Western speeches, said according to the official IRNA news agency.

He was speaking in Farsi which unlike English does not use the phrase “break a leg” idiomatically to wish someone freedom from harm.

Iran is embroiled in a deepening stand-off with the West over its nuclear ambitions. Major powers fear it is seeking to develop atomic weapons but Tehran says it wants only to generate electricity so that it can export more of its oil and gas.

The United States says it would prefer a diplomatic solution to the crisis but has not ruled out military action if that fails. Iran has threatened U.S. regional interests if attacked.