Iran's new DM says "strong vote of confidence" a good response to "Zionists"

TEHRAN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran's new Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Sunday that the strong vote of confidence to him by Iranian lawmakers is a good response to the "Zionist (Israeli) regime's psychological war," the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"The parliament's high confidence vote (to me as Iran's defense minister) defused the world Zionists' negative propaganda and psychological war," Vahidi was quoted as saying.

The vote "shows the Iranian MPs have emphasized on strengthening Islamic Iran's defense power and development of its deterrence power," Vahidi said.

In response to the recent allegations made by U.S. officials onthe appointment Vahidi as the new Defense Minister, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said Sunday that the United States should be vigilant not to fall into the trap set by the global "Zionism."

On Thursday, Iran's parliament approved the qualification of Defense Minister nominee Ahmad Vahidi with the highest vote, who is wanted by Argentina in connection with the alleged 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires.

Argentina has expressed outrage at the nomination of Vahidi, who is wanted by the International Police Organization (Interpol) in connection with a bombing targeting the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association in Buenos Aires in 1994, which left 85 people dead and about 300 wounded.

However, Iran has strongly denied these allegations, saying that Argentine Prosecutor Alberto Nisman received huge sums of money from Jewish lobby groups in Argentina to accuse Tehran of the bombing.