No One Can Undermine Iran’s Missile Power, Regional Clout: IRGC Commander
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Lieutenant Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent comments against Iran prove that no one can undermine the country’s missile power or regional influence.
The IRGC has reached such a level of power that the US secretary of state lays out 12 conditions for a new deal with Iran and calls on the country to end its regional influence, Brigadier General Salami said, addressing a ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday.
This means that they (US officials) are unable to end the Islamic Republic’s presence in the region and that is why they call on the country to do so, the commander added.
“They think Iran should end the development of its missile (program),” he said, adding, “Since they cannot force us, they ask us to do it, ourselves.”
“No one can destroy our missile power and if they are afraid they can go to shelters,” Brigadier General Salami said.
Pompeo said last Monday, May 21, that Washington would increase the financial pressure on Iran by imposing the "strongest sanctions in history" on the Islamic Republic if Tehran refuses to change the course of its foreign and domestic policy.
Speaking a few weeks after the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Pompeo laid out 12 tough conditions for any "new deal" with Tehran. The conditions included the withdrawal of Iran's military advisers from Syria and a halt to its missile program.
Since Syria was gripped by civil war in March 2011, Iran has remained a close ally of the country and supported its legitimate government in the face of terrorist groups, which are mostly supported by the US and its regional allies.
Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.