In a statement on Tuesday, Major General Baqeri lashed out at the US president for his recent bellicose stances against Iran, saying the Iranian Armed Forces will give devastating response to any threat at any level.
Echoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s stances against the US, the general recommended the US not to play with the lion’s tail, saying the bases and interests of the enemies, particularly the US, are within the reach of the Islamic Republic’s “overt and covert power.”
Warning against Iran’s “harsh and unimaginable” reaction which would make the US regret and get a response in the region and the world, the general said, “The US president is preparing new economic and oil sanctions and other covert plots (against Iran) with the childish and false notion and wrong calculations that he could put pressure on the Iranian nation without paying costs.”
If the US carries out its threats against Iran, it will “practically expose the interests of itself and its followers in every corner of the world to the power of the Islamic Revolution’s friends,” the general added.
Describing Iran as the “flag-bearer of peace, stability and calm in the region,” Major General Baqeri said the Islamic Republic maintains friendly and brotherly ties with the neighbors and uses its deterrent power and defense might for establishing peace and fighting off aggression.
While Iran is the dominant power in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and guarantees the security of maritime transportation in such critical waterway, it “has the power to exercise any initiative in that region,” the general concluded.
His statement came after President Rouhani warned his US counterpart not to play with the lion’s tail after Donald Trump’s push to halt Iran’s export of oil, saying a war with Iran would be “the mother of wars” and that control over the Strait of Hormuz is only one of Iran’s advantages.
During a recent visit to Austria, Rouhani pledged that Tehran will stand firm against the US threat to halt Iranian oil shipments, saying no other country in the region could export oil if Iran is to be deprived of oil exports.
A number of top Iranian military officials supported the idea afterwards, saying Iran has the ability to shut down the Strait of Hormuz if necessary.
On Saturday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei praised Rouhani’s firm response to the US threat to halt Iran’s oil exports, saying his significant stances that signify the Establishment’s policy must be seriously pursued by the Foreign Ministry.