DUBAI: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ruled out an Israeli or US attack against the Islamic republic, in an interview broadcast on Sunday by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television channel.

"I reject the possibility of an attack by Israel. Israel is too weak to face up to Iran militarily," said Ahmadinejad, who spoke in Farsi and whose comments were translated into Arabic.

"Israel doesn`t have the courage to do it... and I do not think its threat is serious," he said.

Both Israel and the United States suspect Iran`s controversial programme of uranium enrichment has a covert military aim -- to produce a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies the charge, stating its atomic ambitions are entirely peaceful.

However, neither the Jewish state nor its key ally has ruled out taking military action against Iran`s nuclear programme. Israel itself is widely believed to be the sole, if undeclared, nuclear-armed power in the Middle East.

In his interview, Ahmadinejad also said the Arab states of the Gulf "will not allow the US bases in the region to be used to launch an attack against Iran."

Asked if Arab nations might permit Washington to use its bases in the region to attack Iran, the hardline president replied: "They are more intelligent than that."

"America is not interested in sparking a military confrontation" with Iran, he said, but pledged a "decisive response" if his country was attacked.

BDST: 0936 HRS, August 23, 2010