Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Apr. 30 – A top military commander who has been responsible for recruitment of suicide bombers in Iran’s armed forces said on Wednesday the Islamic Republic’s Air Force was “capable” and “strong enough” to bring down “enemy” warplanes from the sky.
Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, Apr. 30 – A top military commander who has been responsible for recruitment of suicide bombers in Iran’s armed forces said on Wednesday the Islamic Republic’s Air Force was “capable” and “strong enough” to bring down “enemy” warplanes from the sky.
“The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps has become a reliable, invincible and impenetrable body" to “defend the country against any threats", said Brigadier General Hossein Salami who commands the IRGC Air Force. His remarks were reported by the official news agency IRNA.
He said the United States’ “military empire” had “failed to fulfil its goals anywhere” in the world.
Salami was appointed Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the IRGC in 2005.
Salami is best known for his efforts to recruit radical fanatics loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei into Iran’s armed forces.
On July 4, 2004, Salami, who was the IRGC’s Director of Operations at the time, called for the destruction of the U.S. during a ceremony to recruit suicide bombers that were willing to attack Western and Israeli targets.
“Now, America knows that Muslims with their desires for martyrdom have discovered a new technology and are capable of technological production. This has made [the U.S.] fear them”, Salami was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency ISNA.
“Because of their extensive oil resources, countries in the Middle East region can place sanctions on the industrial nations for years to come, since industry runs on oil”.
Salami said that because of the strategic location and resources of the Middle East, the United States had a goal of dominating the region, but was faced with the world of Islam.
Referring to suicide attacks against Israel, Salami said, “A young group following the ideology of Imam [Ruhollah] Khomeini and the [1979] Islamic revolution have started a new strategy of struggle and jihad against the Israelis”.
“With martyrdom-seeking operations, the fight against Israel has taken on a religious quality and has spread Islamic values. It was these martyrdom-seeking operations that brought about victory for the Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon”.
He said that the West and Israel were terrified of suicide operations. “Now, no part of the Islamic world is safe and secure for America, thus the U.S. cannot move forward in the region and is currently trying to secure its present location”.
