Iranian DM: Iraq’s Religious Sites Tehran's Redline
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s defense minister described the security of the religious sites in the holy cities of neighboring Iraq as the Islamic Republic’s redlines, vowing Tehran’s intervention if the sites are put in jeopardy.
“We have clearly asserted that the (security of ) holy sites in Iraq are the Islamic Republic of Iran’s redlines,” Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said in interview with al-Alam Arabic language news network.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will take action if the ISIL or any other armed group wants to threaten those sites,” he added.
The top officer also referred to Iran’s “national security” as one of the other major redlines, noting that the country keeps a wary eye on the entire threats.
“We have a border that is important for us. If the ISIL seeks to intrude into our borders or territory, we will definitely counteract, however, we deem it unnecessary today.”
Dehqan also expressed Tehran’s readiness to assist Iraq militarily in case the Baghdad government makes an official request.
Commenting on the anti-Iran rhetoric, in place since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the defense minister said, “We always enjoy the highest level of (military) preparedness in the face of such threats, and are confident that the US and Israel will never dare to attack us.”
Dehqan also made it clear that Iran vigorously continues to strengthen its missile capabilities.
“We have tried to extend the range of our missiles proportional to the potential threats against the country, and we have acquired the needed ranges in this regard,” he explained.
“We are now trying to increase the missiles’ precision and their durability, and to make them radar-evading,” the minister pointed out.
