TEHERAN - IRAN'S enemies will not dare to attack Iran, elite Revolutionary Guards leader General Mohammed Ali Jafari said in remarks carried by the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday.

'The enemies will not dare to threaten and act directly against Iran. The United States and Israel have shown their weakness in the face of our country and for this reason they are looking to exert pressure on us through economic sanctions,' Gen Jafari said.

Neither the United States nor Israel have ruled out taking military action against Iran to force it to stop its nuclear programme although Washington has repeatedly said it favoured diplomatic means.

Teheran denies this and insists it is purely for peaceful, energy, purposes.

'With the steps we have taken, we will nip in the bud the threats against our country,' Gen Jafari said.

Washington, in a major change of policy, announced on Wednesday that it would send a senior diplomat to a meeting in Geneva between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Teheran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.

Undersecretary of State William Burns will attend the meeting being held 'to receive the Iranian response to the latest offer of the P5 plus 1,' said a US official, requesting anonymity.

Last month, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States presented Iran with an offer of technological incentives in exchange for suspending sensitive uranium enrichment work.

Reports say Mr Solana is proposing to Teheran that world powers would refrain from new sanctions provided Iran did not start operating any additional centrifuges to enrich uranium. -- AFP