DM Downplays Trump's Threat of War against Iran as "Bluff"

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami underlined that the US president's recent threat of a military attack against Iran was merely a bluff to cover Washington's failures.

News ID: 447551

Date: 23 October 2019 - 20:41

RNA - "As said many times, they have exerted lots of pressures on the Iranian nation in the new era to sow discord between the nation and the government but given the people's knowledge of the depth of their hatred, they could not do anything and the people are standing behind the Armed Forces," General Hatami told reporters after a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

"Undoubtedly, if they make a mistake, they will be ashamed more than their previous actions and this measure (Trump's threat) is more a bluff to cover their abashment," he added.

Trump on Monday offered a confusing description of his foreign policy priorities as commander in chief — insisting that he is working to bring home American soldiers while warning the US may soon enter into new military conflicts.

“I'm trying to get out of wars. We may have to get in wars, too. OK? We may have to get in wars,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

“We're better prepared than we've ever been,” he continued. “If Iran does something, they'll be hit like they've never been hit before. I mean, we have things that we're looking at.”

Iranian military commanders have on many occasions underscored the enemies' incapability to launch military attacks against the country.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said earlier this month that his country had developed such a high level of deterrence power that all threats and plots against Tehran would be vigorously responded.

Addressing a national gathering of commanders and staff officials of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Baqeri said the Islamic Republic had mustered sustainable and strong deterrence power to ward off plots by enemies who think about any form of aggression against the country.

“Praise be to God, at the present time, a sustainable and strong form of deterrence has been created in the face of enemy’s plot to carry out any act of aggression against the Islamic Iran and enemies have understood that the Islamic Iran enjoys the readiness, determination and courage and will not hesitate to defend its ideals, land and people,” he said.

According to Fars News Agency, the top Iranian commander noted, “At the present time, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a superior regional power, recognizes its responsibility for maintaining regional security and stability and plays a basic role in this regard… it does not think about ... waging war and sowing insecurity and seeks calm and tranquility through regional cooperation.”

Baqeri pointed to great achievements made by the IRGC's Aerospace Division and said the reinforcement of the country's defense, missile and drone capabilities, showing off the vigilant and firm preparedness of the country’s armed forces to counter the enemy's threats and plots, the destruction of the terrorists' bastions in different regional areas and the downing of an intruding US drone demonstrated only parts of the might of the IRGC and the Islamic establishment.

In June, Iran shot down an intruder American spy drone in the Southern coastal province of Hormuzgan.

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