Enemies’ threats against Iran will not go unanswered: Army chief

Chief Commander of the Iranian Army Major General Amir Hatami says Iran views the escalating rhetoric of its adversaries as a direct threat and will respond firmly if such threats continue.

News ID: 2002515

The senior military official made the remarks while addressing cadets at the Army’s University of Command and Staff in Tehran on Wednesday.

Referring to recent protests in Iran over economic conditions, Hatami said enemies had exploited the demonstrations to incite unrest inside the country.

“Protests are normal and natural in any country. What is unusual, however, is turning a protest into chaos in a very short time. This is far from the behavior of the Iranian people and, without a doubt, has been orchestrated by the enemies,” he said.

General Hatami warned that any miscalculation by Iran’s enemies would be met with a response far stronger than that delivered during the 12-day war of aggression launched by Israel and later joined by the United States.

“I say with confidence that today the readiness of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran is far greater than it was before the war. If the enemy makes any mistake, it will face a more decisive response, and the hand of any aggressor will be cut off. The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation to be a threat and will not leave it unanswered,” he added.

Hatami also stressed the readiness of the Army, saying it remains fully prepared to defend Iran’s independence and territorial integrity./irna