Iran warned Israel of a "painful reply" in case of any military attack against the Islamic state, Fars News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najar said the Iranian forces were fully prepared and on full alert and "would give a painful reply to any stupid move against Iran."

The minister was referring to threats by Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz, who in an interview in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Sunday said that if Iran continued its programme to develop nuclear weapons, Israel would attack the country.

Najar linked the Israeli threat to "internal problems" in Israel and termed Mofaz's remarks as "just stupid".