IRGC Commander: Invasion of Iran Sparks Global Muslim War on US

Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami warned that any military aggression against Iran will ignite a worldwide Muslim war on the US and its interests across the globe.
“When the arrogant powers grow united in different directions to weaken the Islamic community, we should use our different capacities to fight against the enemy, and the Islamic Iran has gained many experiences in fighting against the enemy so far,” Salami said, addressing a ceremony in the Central city of Qom on Wednesday.

He also warned of the different methods and ways used by the enemies to confront Iran and weaken the country, and said they have now resorted to economic pressures against Tehran.

Meantime, Salami downplayed the enemies’ attempts and war rhetoric against Iran, and said, “War against Iran will mobilize the Muslim world against the US, an issue which is very well known by the enemy.”

In relevant remarks in March, Salami said that the country’s Armed Forces are fully capable of defending Iran against any enemy, including the western powers.

“Through these drills we want to show the enemy that our hands are not tied up in the face of the enemy’s various options … we are completely versatile,” he underlined.

Salami said that one of the main objectives behind the recent drills was to show off Iran’s military might to the enemies.

“They (western powers) always try to replace political negotiations with the rhetoric of a threat; we want our enemies to become familiar with our defensive capabilities and don’t make a mistake in their calculations,” the IRGC commander said.

Salami said the US government has always used its huge aircraft carriers to put political leverage on other countries.

Salami highlighted the precision and efficacy of the Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf) missiles which were used during the recent drills to hit the US mock-up carrier. He said the missiles should be viewed as a game-changer in Iran’s ballistic power as the projectile, known as carrier-killer, is Iran’s most potent anti-ship ballistic missile and easily destroys huge vessels like those of the US Navy.

On February 27, the IRGC Navy ended massive wargames, codenamed Payambar-e Azam 9 (The Great Prophet 9), in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters in the Southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas at the time, Commander of the IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said that the IRGC’s massive wargames ended after three days in Southern Iran after testing a strategic weapon.

“This new weapon plays a determining role in increasing Iran’s naval power to confront the threats, specially by the US, against the Islamic Revolution,” he said.

Different IRGC Navy vessels were used in the exercises staged in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Tens of IRGC vessels started high-speed mine-laying operations in a short period of time to get ready for critical situations in times of possible threats.

Fadavi described Iran’s “mine-laying” capability as “the most important concern of the Americans”, and said, “We have the most advanced sea mines which cannot be imagined by the Americans.”

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Iranian officials have always stressed that the country’s military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.

Iran’s naval power has even been acknowledged by foes. In a Sep. 11, 2008 report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy said that in the two decades since the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the Islamic Republic has excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric warfare against larger naval forces.

According to the report, Iran’s Navy has been transformed into a highly motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively in control of the world’s oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.

Since November 2008, the Iranian Navy has also conducted anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb Strait to protect the country’s cargo ships and oil tankers against pirates.