Iran Navy Commander Shrugs Off US Presidential Stances


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari played down the political comments that different presidents of the US have made against Iran, saying the Navy has zeroed in on improvement its military capabilities.

“When it comes to protection of the country, the (Iranian) Armed Forces, including the Navy, pay no attention to issues raised and stances adopted by different US presidents,” the top commander told journalists in Tehran on Tuesday.

“We only aim to upgrade our defense capabilities,” Sayyari noted, saying the naval forces have made “remarkable progress” in various fields.

He made the comments in response to a question about reports released in early January that Republicans in the US Congress are preparing legislative options for targeted action against Iran, which was frequently attacked by Trump during his election campaign.

While the US rhetoric of military action against Iran has become a boring story for Iranians, the Islamic Republic’s officials have made it clear that the country’s Armed Forces are ready to give a crushing response to any act of aggression.

They have also stressed the need for maintaining preparedness in the face of all threats.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has on various occasions emphasized the necessity for incessant progress of the Iranian Armed Forces irrespective of political developments.

“Our Armed Forces should increase their preparedness constantly regardless of political calculations, and should do the strategic planning by identifying their own shortcomings and also by studying the enemy’s possibilities and weaknesses,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a gathering of senior Navy commanders in November 2014.