Iran cmdr. warns region of enemy plots

A senior Iranian commander has warned regional countries that collaborating with enemies who pursue their own interests by scheming plots will be to the region’s detriment.

“Regional countries should be aware that collaborating with enemies of regional nations will bring no benefit to them,” Deputy Head of the Operations Department of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Ali Shademani told IRNA Saturday.

“Cooperation and interaction among regional countries consolidates their relations and will be definitely to their benefit,” Brigadier General Shademani added.

The Iranian commander said that the enemies seek to create divisions and pit countries against each other “to pursue their own illegitimate interests.”

Referring to enemies’ plots, such as plans to deploy a US-led NATO missile shield system in Turkey, Shademani expressed hope that regional countries’ vigilance would thwart such schemes.

The US missile shield plan calls for an initial deployment of ship-based anti-ballistic missiles in the Mediterranean followed by ground-based systems in Romania, Poland and Turkey.

The US Defense Department has announced that the US-engineered “early warning” radar system for the NATO military alliance will become operational in Turkey by the end of 2011.