Speaking to reporters following a military award ceremony in Tehran on Monday, Iranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani stated that no country dares to attack Iran because of that country's military strength and its strategic ability to covertly shield the extent of Iran's military power.

“We are able to say that we have strength such that no country can attack us because they do not have precise information about our military capabilities due to our ability to implement flexible strategies,” Shamkhani stated.

The Defence Minister's comments come just hours following a report that the Bush administration had been carrying out covert reconnaissance missions within Iran including the gathering of information on that country's current nuclear, chemical and missile capabilities.

It is being reported in Iran that the recent CIA information-gathering operations are nothing more than a "bluff" meant to deflect attention from the American failure in regards to Iraq.