Iran warned on Tuesday that an attack on its first nuclear power plant would amount to an "international crime," as the countdown started for the launch of the Russian-built facility.

"Attacking an international plant is an international crime as the consequences will not be limited to the hosting country but will have a global aftermath," Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi told the state IRNA news agency.

Iran's first and much-delayed nuclear power plant near the southern port city of Bushehr will go online on August 21 to eventually generate electricity, at a time of mounting international pressure on Tehran over its atomic programme.

The United States and Israel, which accuse the Islamic republic of seeking nuclear weapons, have never ruled out a military strike to curb Iran's atomic drive. Iran insists the programme is solely aimed at peaceful ends.

Former US envoy to the United Nations John Bolton said Monday that Israel has "eight days" to launch a military strike against Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility to stop Tehran from acquiring a functioning atomic plant.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman dismissed a possible Israeli attack on the Bushehr plant.

"These threats had become repetitive and lost their meaning," Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters on Tuesday.

"According to international law, installations which have real fuel cannot be attacked because of the humanitarian consequences," he said.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, an Iranian air force jet reportedly crashed in Bushehr province but the pilot survived.

Officials say Tehran has stepped up defensive measures at the plant to protect it from possible attacks.

earlier related report
Iran seeks deeper African relations
Tehran (UPI) Aug 17, 2010 - Increasingly isolated on the international stage due to U.N. and U.S. sanctions, Iran is seeking international allies abroad, including in Africa.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashae'i emphasized Iran's interest in Africa in a meeting with Malian Minister of Health Oumar Ibrahima Toure, Fars News Agency reported Tuesday.

Mashae'i told journalists, "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers cooperation with Mali in different fields as a duty since development of political and economic ties with African states, including Mali, constitutes a part of Iran's strategic and irreversible policy.

Iran attaches much importance to its ties with Mali. The bilateral and friendly ties between the two countries will further develop and consolidate following the recent visit to Mali by the Iranian president," adding that Iran was interested in developing relations Mali in various fields, particularly in healthcare.

Toure during his discussions with Mashae'i asked for the expansion of mutual cooperation, particularly in healthcare, noting that Ahmadinejad's July visit to Mali, during which five Iranian-Malian cooperation agreements were concluded, provided an excellent opportunity for developing relations.

During his trip Ahmadinejad met with former Malian President Alpha Omar Konare, a former president of the Africa Union, after which he said, "Today we witness great progress and development in the two countries' relations in various fields."

Konare expressed his hope that Ahmadinejad's visit could lead to further expansion of ties between Tehran and Bamako before concluding, "All African countries should have strong relations with Iran."

Besides Iran, Ahmadinejad's visit to Africa also took him to Zimbabwe and Uganda. Iran now has observer status in the African Union. In February Ahmadinejad visited Nairobi, Kenya and the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Comoros with a trade delegation numbering nearly 100. While Ahmadinejad was in Nairobi, Iran and Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding on water, oil and inaugurating a direct Kenya Airways flight between the two nations.

Iran's interest in assisting African water issues extends beyond Kenya, as on Sunday Iran's Export Development Bank Managing Director Kourosh Parvizian discussed underwriting Iranian technical and engineering products for Sudan, including water projects, with the governor of Khartoum state Abdel-Rahman Al-Khidir.

Iran and Sudan, both currently subjected to U.S. economic sanctions, also signed several cooperation agreements dealing with economic and commercial cooperation between the two nations. In January 2007 the two governments signed a military cooperation agreement during a visit by Sudanese Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein to Iran.