Commander Raps US Officials’ Anti-Iran Remarks
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A top Iranian commander deplored US officials for repeatedly threatening Iran with military action, saying the country’s full preparedness to respond to threats has deterred enemies from waging war on Iran.
“The military position of our country is at the level of deterrence and deep attack, in a way that it (Iran) will respond to any aggression by the big enemy with certainty,” Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri said on Sunday.
“The US should know that its problems cannot be resolved through warmongering and the US cannot impose its one-way order on the world, as the era of unipolar order has come to an end,” he added.
His comments came after US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said on Saturday at the Manama Dialogue forum that an emerging global agreement that would limit Iran's nuclear program did not mean the security threat from Iran was over.
He said US diplomacy would ultimately be backed up by military commitments and cooperation with regional partners.
"We know diplomacy cannot operate in a vacuum... Our success will continue to hinge on America's military power, and the credibility of our assurances to our allies and partners in the Middle East," Hagel said.
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, China, France, Britain and the US - plus Germany sealed an interim deal on November 24 that both sides hope could open the way for the permanent resolution of Iran's nuclear standoff. The deal is intended to allow time to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on the nuclear program.
Moreover, US President Barack Obama also on Saturday repeated that all options remained on the table if Iran did not follow through with its obligations.
“If we cannot get the kind of comprehensive end state that satisfies us and the world community ... then the pressure that we've been applying on them and the options that I have made clear I can avail myself of, including a military option, is one that we would consider and prepare for,” Obama said.
Brigadier General Jazayeri further poured scorn on the US officials’ talk of military option against Iran, and stressed that a whole host of US and Israeli interest are within the range of Iran’s offensive power.
“Tehran has in advance made a decision in confronting the possible invaders,” he warned.