Iranian Commander Warns US against Using Language of Threat

"The Iranian nation has not forgotten the long list of the oppression and crimes (committed by) Americans in (recent) decades," Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said in a speech marking the anniversary of a US warship's attack on an Iran Air passenger flight in 1988 that killed all the 290 civilians on board.

On 3 July 1988, Iran Air Flight 655 from Tehran to Dubai was shot down by the United States Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes. The incident took place in Iranian airspace, over Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.

"US military threats in these days will be followed by crushing responses (from Iran)" General Jazayeri said, adding that Tehran's response will break the selfishness and self-indulgence of the Americans and make them regret their move.

He made the comments in reference to recent remarks made by some US officials on the possibility of using the military option against Iran in case of the failure of nuclear talks between Tehran and six world powers.

In relevant remarks earlier in May, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei reaffirmed that the Iranian nation will not let any possible act of aggression against the country go unanswered.

The Leader pointed to the nuclear talks and said, "It is unacceptable that the other side would continuously issue threats while the negotiations are underway."

Alluding to the recent military threats made by the US officials, Imam Khamenei underlined that Iranians will not tolerate nuclear negotiations under the pressure of threats.

Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) are in talks to hammer out a lasting accord that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran's peaceful nuclear program.