Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari highlighted the country’s military preparedness to counter foreign threats and said the Islamic Republic’s air defense forces will overpower the aggressors.
In a speech in the northern province of Semnan on Friday night, Brigadier General Heidari pointed to a recent move by Iran to shoot down a US spy drone in southern territorial waters and said, “Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s airspace is the most secure in the world.”
“Whenever the enemy makes a mistake, the sharp eyes of our country’s Air Defense (Force) will not give it any opportunity (to respond) and will face down the aggressors in a fraction of (a second),” the commander added.
He further highlighted the importance of Iran’s power and called on all people of the country to preserve and protect it.
The remarks came against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US after the Islamic Republic shot down an advanced US spy drone over its territorial waters.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on June 20 that a US spy drone that violated the Iranian territorial airspace in the early hours of the day was shot down by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s air defense unit near the Kooh-e-Mobarak region in the southern province of Hormozgan.
The intruding drone was reportedly shot by Iran’s homegrown air defense missile system “Khordad-3rd”.
Later on the same day, US President Donald Trump said he had called off a retaliatory attack on a number of targets in Iran and said that 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.
However, on June 24 Trump announced new sanctions against top Iranian officials, including the office of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s foreign minister, and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
Source: Mehr News Agency
