Military Commanders Bang the War Drum

While the head of the administration and some of his supporters dismiss threats against Iran as “psychological warfare” and accuse the administration’s opponents and concerned elements as “actors in the enemy’s scenario,” the armed forces deputy chief of staff, commander Gholamali Rashid announced on the eve of Iran-Iraq war’s anniversary, “We are still under threat, and the army and IRGC are constantly preparing themselves. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are on the verge of a possible war in the future.”

Gholamali Rashid, who was speaking at the “Holy Defense Documents” research conference, said, “Human societies are either in a state of peace or in a state of war, depending on the circumstances. In between war and peace is a condition of threat, and we are currently in the condition of threat. One reason for this is the four wars that America and Israel have begun in the region.”

Noting that the region’s countries have been under the military threat of the United States and Israel since the September 11 attacks, he added, “One reason for the existence of threats is the four wars that the United States and Israel have started in the region in less than eight years.”

He said, “Throughout the past ten years we have always faced threats. I don’t think that the American military commanders would make that strategic mistake, because they are not capable militarily to attack Iran from the ground. I also don’t think they would make the mistake of engaging in aerial or missile attacks, because they know well that Iran has a high capacity to defend against and respond to aerial attacks and also has many naval defense capabilities.”

On Friday, Yahya Rahim-Safavi, the special advisor to ayatollah Khamenei in military affairs said in a speech before Tehran’s Friday prayers that “imperialists must have learned their lesson from the holy defense,” adding, “Iran has more than two thousand kilometers of coastline along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. As a result, every aircraft carrier belonging to American or the enemy is within the shooting range of our armed forces’ missiles.”

The former head of the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) declared, “If they want to attack Iran, we will chase them into their homes.”

Earlier however, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted those who warn of military threats against Iran, saying, “Some people in Iran talk about their attack scenario. This is all psychological warfare and even the stupidest politicians know that attacking Iran means suicide.”