Major General Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sent a warning to Washington on Thursday, saying Tehran was not limited to “a specific geographical area” in militarily defending the “vital interests” of country.
Salami, quoted on the official Guards website, Sepahnews, spoke after the New York Times claimed Donald Trump had recently asked top aides about the possibility of striking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The general noted Iran’s position in the energy-rich Gulf, calling it a “strategic region for the world economy” in which Iran has “a privileged and unique role in ensuring the safety of the maritime expanse,” AFP reports.
General Salami was speaking at the inauguration of a new warship equipped with “missile systems”, a helipad and capabilities to launch drones from, as well as to transport speedboats, Sepahnews said.
“We are not limited to a specific geographic area to defend our security and our vital interests,” Salami warned.
“If some want to threaten the interests of this great nation and country, they will certainly not be safe anywhere on Earth,” he added.
Salami is no stranger to attacking the U.S. or its global interests while at the same time promising “painful” revenge, as Breitbart News reports.
In January the military leader said he saw a bleak future for America and its allies in the Middle East as the Iranian regime welcomed the prospect of the combat.
“Anyone who hosts the U.S. is an enemy of Muslim nations; we are warning them to rethink their behaviour and covert plots; we are monitoring them; they should take care not to fall victim to U.S. policies … and not to pay the price for the Americans’ policy and strategy,” Salami said.
“With the Americans’ presence [in the region] coming to an end, the region will get to enjoy stability, prosperity, balance and security,” he added.
Salami also applauded the possibility of Joe Biden entering the White House, saying it would mean a return to Barack Obama’s discredited 2015 nuclear deal and an obedient U.S. “complying with international agreements.”