TEHRAN -- Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani here Thursday lashed out at "the enemies of the Islamic Revolution" for raising "ballyhoo" against the Islamic Republic as news emerged on alleged interception of Israeli military equipment destined for Iran.

"Enemies of the (Islamic) Revolution with this ballyhoo are intending to invoke cynicism toward the Islamic Republic of Iran in the public opinion of the Islamic world," Rafsanjani, who is the chairman of the arbitrative Expediency Council, said.

"They do not want our relations to expand with the world and peace and security to be established in this country," he added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry also on Thursday denounced as "ludicrous" Israel's claims that a shipment of the Zionist regime's military equipment, intercepted in Hamburg, was headed for the Islamic Republic.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi described the claims as being in line with the previous 'failed scenarios' practiced by the Zionist regime against Iran.

Assefi said the Zionist regime was trying to create doubt in world public opinion regarding Tehran's rightful stances in opposing Israel's expansionist policies.

"The Islamic Republic has never had any form of relationship with the Zionist regime, and Israel's persistence on such propaganda as the recent case of arms shipment to Iran shows that it has taken the world public opinion to be 'simple-minded'," he said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman further said the Zionist regime can never cover up its deteriorating domestic status and inability to solve problems through fomenting ballyhoos and blaming external forces for its internal woes.

Israel cited German customs officials Wednesday as having said that they had impounded in Hamburg two weeks ago a shipload of tread parts for armored vehicles and tanks, allegedly headed for Iran.

Tehran, which does not recognize the Zionist Israeli regime, but has come a long way to warm up its relations with Berlin as well as other European countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, strongly rejected the allegations and described them "ridiculous" on Thursday.

"The current situation indicates that our enemies have not decreased, rather they have only sheathed their swords," Rafsanjani said.

"Our enemies are still bearing the spite which they developed with the victory of the revolution at their loss of the rich Iran; thus, they have not forgiven our revolutionary forces yet," the former president said.

"They raise a ballyhoo against U.S. every once in a while. But, they should know that we have no shortage of military equipment to want to meet it from Israel," Rafsanjani added.

"On one side they make ballyhoo by saying that Iran has acquired advanced know-how for building missiles, and on the other hand they claim we are buying parts for tanks from Israel," he said.

"All know well that we have become self-sufficient in the field of manufacturing tanks," the former president said.

Iran, which suffered immensely from crippling arms sanctions during and after the 1980-1988 Iraqi-imposed war, has launched a plan to bolster its indigenous defensive capabilities.

The country has succeeded to produce its own version of a transport plane, a combat helicopter, a submarine and a warship as well as Shahab missile.

In May, Tehran rejected American allegations that Iran had successfully tested Shahab-3 which could hit targets within Israel.

Rafsanjani further warned against threats of the U.S. which has recently accused Iran of harboring members of the terrorist Al-Qaeda group.

"We must remain vigilant since our enemies may commit a mischief when they become desperate and America's situation today has taken a turn for desperation," he said. "Americans are currently acting very badly and have become a nuisance to the world people."

"They have been exploiting the issue of terrorism as a false pretext for war-mongering and conquering the world. They have made this issue a big deal and fallen upon the Islamic world and Muslims," Rafsanjani added.

He also reiterated rejection of the Islamic Republic on the presence of Al-Qaeda members in Iran.

"Americans claim that there are Al-Qaeda forces in Iran, but we have shown our resolve to arrest and hand them over to their respective governments if any Al-Qaeda members enter Iran," Rafsanjani said.

Iran is a fierce opponent of Al-Qaeda and their Taleban allies in Afghanistan, which Washington accuses of masterminding September 11 terror attacks on American landmarks.

"Americans created Taleban and Al-Qaeda in order to fight the Islamic Revolution," he said.

U.S. President George W. Bush has lumped Iran as part of an "axis of evil" with Iraq and North Korea.