One of Iran's top military commanders warns any attack against Iran would start a new world war.

Iranian state media reported the comments by Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri Saturday.

General Jazayeri says unrestrained greed of the United States and Zionism are pushing the world to "the edge of a precipice."

He warned, in the case of an attack, "fake and artificial regimes" would be the first to be eliminated.

Iran and the United States have been at odds over Iran's nuclear program.  Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes but the U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of working to develop a nuclear weapon.  

Israel has said a nuclear-armed Iran could threaten its existence.  The Israeli air force carried out a large-scale exercise in June that was interpreted by many as a rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

The United Nations has also sanctioned Iran three times because of its failure to comply with Security Council orders to halt uranium enrichment.  

Highly enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear weapons.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Reza Sheik Attar told Iranian state media Friday the country now has 4,000 working nuclear centrifuges.  He also said another 3,000 centrifuges will soon be installed at Iran's main nuclear site in Natanz.

The centrifuges could significantly boost Iran's ability to produce enriched uranium.  

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.