TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces on Sunday stressed the military readiness to deal with all threats severely and protect the country’s national interests with constantly growing defense capabilities.
Major General Muhammad Hussein Baqeri released a message on the anniversary of liberation of Khorramshahr from the occupation of Iraq’s Ba’athist army in the early 1980s under former dictator Saddam Hussein.
In his message, the top commander said the “policy of boosting power for defense, offense and deterrence” is always on the agenda of the Iranian Armed Forces.
Iran’s military forces, he said, maintain intelligence dominance and are fully prepared for harsh and courageous confrontation with any threat against the country’s independence, territorial integrity and national interests.
The general said this year’s anniversary of liberation of Khorramshahr has coincided with the Palestinian resistance forces’ victory in a new intifada over the fake and child-murdering Zionist regime.
“While the flag of Palestine has been raised across the occupied territories and Gaza, the occupiers of Al-Quds have run for shelters humiliatingly as the Zionist regime’s nest, like the spider web, has become shakier than ever,” Baqeri said.
Iranian military and political officials have repeatedly warned the enemies about the dire consequences of a military action against the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s defense minister also said Sunday the Islamic Republic has greatly developed its missile capability in the past years and is now among the world’s topmost missile powers.
Speaking on the sidelines of an exhibition displaying Iranian missile industries’ achievements, Amir Hatami said, “The enemy has owned up to the fact that it has lost its air superiority to us. Hereby, I announce that they have only witnessed our air force capability, but the same is true about other fields of defense.”
“In the field of missiles, we are highly capable and we are now among the world’s effective missile powers,” the defense minister added.
He said the Islamic Republic has spent a lot on its defensive power, noting that the enemy is not anymore speaking of a military attack against Iran as one of its “available options on the table.”
Hatami said the Defense Ministry has achieved all of its goals since he assumed the post almost four years ago.
“Our goal has been to acquire strategic weapons in all fields of combat, and today we are able to respond in accordance with any defensive situation,” he said.
The defense minister further said the Iranian Armed Forces have now access to high, medium- and low-range defense systems and radar systems, and they can also make use of military aircraft at different levels.
“This is a big obstacle against the enemy’s greed,” he added.
Iran’s Parliament speaker Muhammad-Baqer Qalibaf also attended the exhibition, saying that the Islamic Republic is seeking to increase its deterrence capabilities to protect its territory.
“We are after sustainable peace, tranquility and friendly relations with our neighbors and the Islamic nation, and we stand firm against any act of aggression,” he said.
Qalibaf said although he is familiar with military and security affairs, he was surprised by the extent of development and diversity in the field of ground security and defense.
The parliament speaker lauded the production of such equipment and facilities for defending the Islamic Ummah and the oppressed as well as creating deterrence against the enemy, adding, “If one day the enemy looks at this land with greedy eyes, we will have the best defense with this equipment.”
Iran has repeatedly reassured its neighbors that its military power does not pose any threat to them as it is defensive in nature.
Tehran has also persistently dismissed accusations that it is after building nuclear bombs.