Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned the U.S. that any attack on the Islamic Republic would prompt retaliation.

``The enemies know any aggression will give way to a wide reaction from Iranian people toward them and their interests in all parts of the world,'' Iranian state television quoted Khamenei as saying today in an address to commanders of the country's air force. Khamenei, who was referring to the U.S., spoke at a ceremony that was part of celebrations of the Islamic Republic's 28th anniversary.

Iran is pushing forward with a nuclear program that the U.S. says is a cover for the development of nuclear weapons. U.S. President George W. Bush's administration also accuses Iran of using money and influence to increase tension in countries, such as Lebanon and Iraq, which have large Shiite Muslim populations.

The Iranian government defied a United Nations Security Council deadline of Aug. 31 to halt its uranium enrichment activities. The Security Council voted on Dec. 23 to impose sanctions on the country and gave a two-month deadline for sensitive nuclear work to be frozen.

Iran says it won't abide because, as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is entitled to have a civilian nuclear program. The atomic program is designed to fuel power stations, the government in Tehran says.

Interests in Jeopardy

The U.S., seeking to defend its more than 132,000 troops in neighboring Iraq and to dissuade Iran from triggering what it fears could become a nuclear arms race across the Middle East, is sending a second aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf as a show of force.

``No one will be so irrational or commit such a mistake and put their interests in jeopardy,'' Khamanei, the highest authority in Iran, said of any possible attack on the country. ``American analysts and policy makers understand that the Iranian people will not leave any aggression unanswered.''

Iran today successfully test-fired a land-to-sea missile with a range of 350 kilometers (217 miles) and the ability to carry a 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) warhead, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported, citing Iranian Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi.

SSN4 Missile

The SSN4 missile is capable of destroying large warships and its range would allow it to cover the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and parts of the northern Indian Ocean, IRNA cited Fadavi as saying on the second day of a major military exercise.

``When it comes to things like these tests, we watch them closely,'' U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Seville, Spain, today after a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense ministers. ``We have no intention of acting in Iran. The president said that, the secretary of State said that. I've said that.''

Officials and state television have been encouraging Iranians to join rallies scheduled for Feb. 11 to mark the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979, following the overthrow of the ruling monarchy.

Feb. 11 will be a day of ``worry and anger'' for the U.S., U.K. and Israeli intelligence services, Khamenei said. The people's presence in the streets in support of the Islamic Republic will leave enemies ``enraged and desperate,'' he added.

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former Iranian president, said today that any military attacks on Iran would be very costly for the U.S., IRNA reported. Given the difficulties facing the U.S. in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, an attack on Iran wouldn't be easy, IRNA cited Rafsanjani, who is chairman of the influential Expediency Council, as saying.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ladane Nasseri in Tehran at lnasseri@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 8, 2007 14:58 EST