Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan hit back at military threats made by US Secretary of States, saying the Islamic Republic doesn’t welcome war but will give a crushing response in case of any attack.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan hit back at military threats made by US Secretary of States, saying the Islamic Republic doesn’t welcome war but will give a crushing response in case of any attack.
“The Americans are aware that they cannot level bold insults to the Iranian nation and are aware of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s defensive power,” Dehqan said in Tehran on Wednesday.
“Of course, we don’t welcome war and tension but we will firmly give a crushing response to the warmongers,” he added.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview in Geneva on Thursday that the military option was still on the table if Iran did not live up to its nuclear commitments under the Geneva deal.
Dehqan described Kerry’s threats against Iran as a “political bluffing”, and said, “The 8-year-long defense (during the Iraqi-imposed war 1980-1988) and 34 years of resistance of the Iranian nation against the expansionism of the hegemonic system have given Iran a permanent readiness to make any aggressive enemy regret its deeds.”
Meanwhile, a growing number of Iranian officials have rushed to warn Kerry and other Washington officials to avoid sabre-rattling remarks against Tehran.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi downplayed Kerry’s war rhetoric, but advised Washington not to spoil the trend of the talks with Tehran by such “cheap and unworthy” remarks.
“Recently, the Americans made an obvious mistake and threatened the revolutionary people of Iran with military option,” Firouzabadi said, addressing a number of Iranian commanders in Tehran on Tuesday.