TEHRAN -- Government Spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh said here Wednesday that U.S. policymakers are too wise to plan an attack on the Islamic Republic.

Ramezanzadeh told reporters that Iran is ready to thwart foreign threats and to defend its territorial integrity, adding the Islamic Republic has never advocated confrontation and will never join a coalition for war.

Iran, he said, has always invited all nations to join a coalition for peace, but will never remain silent in case of any aggression on even one inch of its territory, and will "take action whenever necessary".

"We will undoubtedly act in such a way to secure the interests of the country, and to make the aggressors, just like before, regret their attempts," the spokesman said.

Asked about Iran's hand-over of 16 Al-Qaeda suspects to Saudi Arabia, Ramezanzadeh said Tehran had already announced that a certain number of foreign nationals had been arrested while crossing the border from Afghanistan into the Iranian territory. "The detainees who were more than 16 had European, Arab and African origins, but this particular case had no special significance for the Islamic Republic," he said. "Any foreign national who is arrested while illegally trying to cross into the Iranian territory will be handed over to their respective countries."

Ramezanzadeh confirmed that the nationals had been interrogated, but did not give further details.

Elsewhere in his remarks, government spokesman rejected that Tehran has had any contact with Washington over the hand-over.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Assafi Tuesday confirmed that Iran had extradited to Saudi Arabia some 16 Saudi nationals suspected of membership in Al-Qaeda.