ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that it is prepared for war but will not start one, speaking just days after United States President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iranian interests if Tehran does not agree to Washington’s demands on in its nuclear program.
“We have no worries. We are not at all worried about war. We will not be the ones to start a war, but we are prepared for any war. The thirst for jihad to defend our sanctity, identity, and existence is a reality within our armed forces and our people,” said Hossein Salami, IRGC commander-in-chief, according to Iran’s state-owned IRNA news agency.
“We are prepared for both scenarios: the enemy's psychological operations or military action, but we will not take a single step back in the face of the enemy,” Salami added.
Trump made the threat on Sunday. “If they don’t make a deal there will be bombing, and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he told NBC News.
An army commander also said they are prepared. “Today, our level of readiness is such that, unlike the armed forces of neighboring countries, we are capable of establishing lasting security within our own borders,” Commander of the Army Ground Forces Kioumars Heydari said on Saturday.
Trump is pressuring Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear deal. He made an overture in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last month, signaling openness to nuclear negotiations, but also threatened military action if Iran refuses to cooperate.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran calls for an equal stance - not to threaten Iran on the one hand and to negotiate. If you want to negotiate, what is the threat for? America today is, not only Iran, but humiliates the world, and this behavior contradicts the call for negotiation,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday, IRNA reported.
On Monday, a top aide to Khamenei, Ali Larijani, warned that his country will have “no choice” but to develop nuclear weapons if it comes under “any attack” by the United States or Israel.
Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions. The deal began unraveling in 2018 when Trump, during his first term, unilaterally withdrew the US from the accord and reimposed biting sanctions on Iran. Tehran waited a year and then gradually ramped up its nuclear activities.
After returning to office, Trump in early February restored his maximum pressure policy on Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon.
“We are prepared for both scenarios: the enemy's psychological operations or military action, but we will not take a single step back in the face of the enemy,” Salami added.
Trump made the threat on Sunday. “If they don’t make a deal there will be bombing, and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he told NBC News.
An army commander also said they are prepared. “Today, our level of readiness is such that, unlike the armed forces of neighboring countries, we are capable of establishing lasting security within our own borders,” Commander of the Army Ground Forces Kioumars Heydari said on Saturday.
Trump is pressuring Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear deal. He made an overture in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last month, signaling openness to nuclear negotiations, but also threatened military action if Iran refuses to cooperate.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran calls for an equal stance - not to threaten Iran on the one hand and to negotiate. If you want to negotiate, what is the threat for? America today is, not only Iran, but humiliates the world, and this behavior contradicts the call for negotiation,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday, IRNA reported.
On Monday, a top aide to Khamenei, Ali Larijani, warned that his country will have “no choice” but to develop nuclear weapons if it comes under “any attack” by the United States or Israel.
Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions. The deal began unraveling in 2018 when Trump, during his first term, unilaterally withdrew the US from the accord and reimposed biting sanctions on Iran. Tehran waited a year and then gradually ramped up its nuclear activities.
After returning to office, Trump in early February restored his maximum pressure policy on Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment