IRGC Commander:

Iran Left with No Option, but to Increase Power

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami said Iran should further reinvigorate its power to render the military option useless for enemies.

News ID: 448947

Date: 10 February 2020 - 11:13

RNA - "As we have heard in the past few days in remarks by Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces [Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei], strengthening power is the heart of the Islamic Republic's new defense policies and we have learned from experience and logic that we have no other option but strengthening ourselves to prevent war and our defeat and ensure enemy's defeat," General Salami said in Tehran on Sunday, addressing a ceremony to unveil a new home-made missile named Ra'ad (Thunder) 500 with a composite engine.

He added that production of power to strengthen Iran is the real combat faced today, noting that the new missile achievements which were unveiled on Sunday are the key to Iran's space developments.

"The IRGC Aerospace Force made a jump in new missile technology by production of composite bodies and engines which decreases the mass, increases speed and facilitates production," General Salami said.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with the commanders and staff of the Islamic republic of Iran’s Air Force (IRIAF) on Saturday said that his country would grow stronger in areas of economy and industry.

In a meeting with the commanders and staff of the IRIAF, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted that sanctions can save the country from dependence on oil revenues.

Referring to the sanctions and the problems enemies have caused for the country, the Leader stressed that threats can be changed into opportunities "if the officials act alertly".

He underlined that the importance of becoming more powerful and stronger to be able to prevent break out of wars and putting an end to enemies' threats.

Ayatollah Khamenei added if such thoughts prevail in the society, threats can change into chances.

Now, the Air Force not only repairs and overhauls fighters, it also designs and manufactures them, which is possible because the Air Force stopped waiting for the foreigners to help, the Supreme Leader noted.

This, he said, can be generalized to the entire country; the "criminal" sanctions can create a lot of opportunities for the country.

He added that there are some "smart" people in the ruling system of the US have advised Washington not to let Iran experience having an economy without oil. They say Washington should keep one road open so that Iran's economy does not get separated from oil entirely. The officials of the country, especially the economic ones, should be fully alert about that."

According to Fars News Agency, Ayatollah Khamenei further said that as the enemies' tools and methods got complicated, Iran too has grown more sophisticated than before in a way that different parts of the country are using rational, complex, and progressive methods that have frustrated the enemies.

Stressing that the country should get stronger, he said that Iran is not after threatening any country or nation, but it is after security and preventing others from threatening it.

If a country is weak, it in fact tempts its enemies to make a move, he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei went on to say that the previous administrations of the US were covertly pursuing the same goals the current one has, but Trump's administration's deviation, belligerence, sedition, and greed for assets of others are overt, which is destined to failure.

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