Americans Not after Military War with Iran: MP
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Heshamtollah Falahatpishe rejected the possibility of any military confrontation between the country and the US, saying that the Americans’ strategy is not war.
“There is a fact that for 28 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s strategy… has been defined as countermeasures and defense against the US,” Falahatpishe told reporters in Tehran on Sunday.
“In other words, over this period, we have recognized the US hostility and reached preparedness for defense,” the lawmaker said.
“For the reason, we believe that there will never be a war because the Americans know that they cannot afford to fight Iran,” he added.
"The Americans’ strategy is not (waging a military) war, so we believe that a war will not happen,” he said, adding that the US is now resorting to psychological warfare.
The remarks came as the Pentagon recently approved the deployment of a Patriot missile defense battery and a Navy ship to the Middle East amid increasing tensions between Iran and the US.
The USS Arlington and a Patriot battery will join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a US Air Force bomber task force, which were deployed earlier in the week to the region in response to “heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations”, according to US media.
US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that his administration had information Iran was "threatening" the United States, though he provided no details.
"We have information that you don't want to know about," Trump said. But he added that "we don't want to have to do anything."
Trump said he was ready to speak with Iranian leaders and come to an understanding that would allow the country to improve its economic prospects. "What I'd like to see with Iran, I'd like to see them call me."
"I look forward to the day where we can actually help Iran. We're not looking to hurt Iran,” Trump added.
Last week, the US administration renewed five of seven sanctions waivers that allow Russia and European nations to conduct civilian nuclear cooperation with Iran but revoked the other two as part of its pressure campaign against Tehran.
Washington also stopped issuing waivers to buy Iranian crude oil on May 2.
Before the US moves, Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, had warned against their consequences.
On May 8, 2018, Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Following the US withdrawal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
The European Union has vowed to counter Trump’s renewed sanctions on Iran, including by means of a new law to shield European companies from punitive measures, but it has so far failed to do anything beyond making statements.