Army Commander: Armed Forces Fully Prepared to Defend Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Armed Forces enjoy a high level of preparedness to defend the country against any enemy aggression and are able to deal a heavy blow to enemies in all battlefields, a senior Iranian army commander underlined on Saturday.

"Today, the Iranian armed forces enjoy a high level of strength and capabilities to defend (the country) and hit enemy on land, in the air and in the sea thanks to their obedience to the thoughts and guidelines of the Supreme Leader (of the Islamic Revolution) and their advanced equipments," Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said on Saturday.  He further mentioned that enhancement of combat capabilities is the central issue for the Iranian Army.  "The Army will utilize any opportunity to promote its operation capabilities, and updating tactics and techniques are among our priorities," Pourdastan stated.  "All these efforts lie within the defense doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran's holy establishment and are interpreted as (the power of) deterrence," he concluded.  Iranian officials and commanders have warned that any enemy move, even the slightest aggressions, against the Islamic Republic would be reciprocated with a destructive response and will endanger the US interests all around the world.  On November 10, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned enemies about Iran's tough response to any aggression or even threat, stressing that the country would respond with full force to any attack.  "Iran is not a nation to sit still and just observe threats from fragile materialist powers which are being eaten by worms from inside," Ayatollah Khamenei told students at a Tehran military college.  "Anyone who harbors any thought of invading the Islamic Republic of Iran - or even if the thought crosses their mind - should be prepared to receive strong blows and the steel fists of the military, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and the Basij (volunteer) force, backed by the entire Iranian nation," he said.  "Iran will respond with full force to any aggression or even threats in a way that will demolish the aggressors from within," he added. (FNA)