Top general: Iran not seeking war, nor will stand bullying
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri said the Islamic Republic is not seeking war, but will not tolerate bullying and coercion and will stand up to it.
Bagheri made the remarks in a meeting with commanders, managers, and the personnel of the Armed Forces’ general staff and the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters on Sunday.
He said that Iran’s strategy is to defend its own interests and to move towards its outlined plans.
His remarks came as the US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threated Iran with bombing if an agreement is not reached between the two sides over Iran’s nuclear program.
Pointing to the content of Iran’s response to a recent letter from Trump to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution over talks on Iran’s nuclear program, Bagheri said Iran’s response stressed that, “We seek peace in the region.”
“We are not the ones who start wars, but we will respond to any threat with all our might,” Bagheri said of the content of Iran’s response.
Iran knows ‘formulas for defeating enemy’: Salami
The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also said on Saturday that Iran has learnt formulas for defeating the enemy and will never back down even “one step” if threatened.
“We are absolutely not concerned about a war. We will not initiate a war but are ready for any war,” Major General Hossein Salami said in a meeting with senior IRGC commanders and managers on Saturday.
“We are prepared for both scenarios of the enemy’s psychological operation or military action. However, we will not take a single step back in the face of the enemy,” he added.
Based on its false assumptions about Iran’s deterrent power, the enemy seeks to force Tehran to choose between the two options of confrontation and acceptance of the enemy’s conditions, he noted.
The IRGC chief emphasized that the Israeli regime is vulnerable because its interests are sprawling and within Iran’s reach everywhere.
“We have acquired the knowhow and formulas to overcome this enemy and have incorporated them into all elements of our weaponry and equipment,” he said.
He stressed that Iran has the necessary hardware and software at its disposal to defeat the Israeli regime despite the United States’ absolute support.
He warned adversaries to avoid miscalculations, as Iran’s expanding influence and enduring capabilities remain a formidable force.
“We have accumulated capabilities and can reach and target the enemy, and we are ready to demonstrate our true capabilities,” he emphasized.
He said Iran’s “successful” retaliatory operations against Israel, dubbed Operation True Promise I and II, last year served as just one example of Iran’s military capabilities.
Salami emphasized that despite Israel’s multi-layered missile systems, 581 of the Iranian missiles landed in the occupied territories.
The two operations, carried out using hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, showcased Iran’s ability to strike sensitive Israeli military and intelligence targets with surgical accuracy.