Senior Commander: Army Prepared to Rigidly Respond to Enemies' Threats

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Commander of the Iranian Army's Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard said that his forces are fully prepared to repel any threat by enemies.

News ID: 82809

Date: 27 December 2020 - 13:24

Brigadier General Sabahifard made the remarks during a visit to Shahid Sattari Air Defense Group on Saturday.

"The force's successive and successful exercises have been commensurate with the threats and their ability to respond to them, given the principle of prioritizing air defense," the senior commander said.

In relevant remarks earlier in December, Lieutenant Commander of Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Qader Rahimzadeh warned the US that the smallest possible violation of the country’s airspace will receive a “fiery response” after Washington sent its B-52H bombers on an overflight mission above the Persian Gulf.

“Iran’s airspace is among our redlines and, as enemies have already experienced, the smallest violation will face the [Iranian] air defense forces’ crushing and fiery response,” Rahimzadeh said.

“Iran’s surveillance operations cover the entire range of movements that are carried out by the regional and extra-regional forces, including the bombers that were sent to fly more than 150 kilometers (93 miles) away from the country’s borders,” he noted.

The commander reminded that given the country's strategic position and the hostile moves that have been trying to target the Islamic establishment, Iran's integrated air defense constantly monitors the movements of manned and unmanned aircraft around the country.

“The air defense analyzes these movements, and devises and implements proportional plans after learning about the enemies’ targets and behavior,” Rahimzadeh said.

He said some regional countries were interested in enlisting the cooperation of other countries from the region and beyond to supposedly ensure their own security.

“This had led to some aerial maneuvering by certain regional countries outside Iran’s flight information region (FIR) over the Persian Gulf last week,” the commander went on to say.

His comments also came after a senior US military official told NBC News that aircraft from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar had flown alongside the US bombers during portions of the flight.

Rahimzadeh reminded Iran’s neighbors that the country's air defense keeps these activities under complete surveillance, too.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has also earlier urged the Iranian Armed Forces to further reinvigorate their capabilities and deterrence power.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not intend to start a war against anyone but you (Armed Forces) should increase your capabilities to the extent that not only does the enemy fear attacking Iran but also the shadow of war against the Iranian nation will fade away with the help of the Armed Forces' solidarity, might and effective deployment," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing Navy officials and commanders in Tehran on the occasion of the Navy Day in Iran.

He added that the Armed Forces' preparedness played as a deterrent power against the enemy threats.