Iran: Vows to Launch Preemptive Strike If Attack on Them Imminent

- Common Dreams staff

A top Iranian military commander said today that Iran would take pre-emptive action against its enemies if it felt it were about to be attacked.
"We do not wait for enemies to take action against us. We will use all our means to protect our national interests" said Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi. Deputy Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Mohammad Hejazi, Deputy Head of the Iranian Armed Forces, made his comments to the Iranian FARS news agency.
Iran is facing mounting international pressure over its controversial nuclear program. Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
"Our strategy now is that if we feel our enemies want to endanger Iran's national interests, and want to decide to do that, we will act without waiting for their actions," Mr Hejazi told FARS.

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FARS News Agency in Tehran reports:
Commander: Iran to Respond to Enemy Aggressions by All Possible Means

TEHRAN - A senior Iranian military commander underlined that Tehran would use every possible means in response to potential enemy aggressions.

Speaking to FNA on Tuesday, Deputy Head of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Logistic and Industrial Research General Mohammad Hejazi pointed to Iran's latest strategy to embark on posing threats in response to enemy threats, and explained that the strategy means "we will no more wait to see enemy action against us".

"Given this strategy, we will make use of all our means to protect our national interests and hit a retaliatory blow at them whenever we feel that enemies want to endanger our national interests," Hejazi noted.

"We do not wait for enemies to take action against us. We will use all our means to protect our national interests."As regards Israeli officials' war rhetoric against Iran, Hejazi said, "We enjoy the ability to show them all types of confrontation in case of a foolish act by the Zionist regime (of Israel)." [...]

In relevant remarks earlier in January, a senior Iranian legislator stressed that Iran will use all its capabilities and possibilities to defend the country against foreign threats and the country will use the Strait of Hormoz as a defensive tool and will close the waterway if it comes under threat.

"Iran will definitely use the defensive potential of the Strait of Hormoz if it is faced with threats," Rapporteur of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazzem Jalali told FNA at the time.

Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear warheads.

Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

Both Israel and the US have recently intensified rhetoric against Iran, saying an attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear site is impending.

Iran has, in return, warned that it would target Israel and its worldwide interests in case it comes under attack by the Tel Aviv.

Iran has also warned that it could close the strategic Strait of Hormoz if it became the target of a military attack over its nuclear program.

Strait of Hormoz, the entrance to the strategic Persian Gulf waterway, is a major oil shipping route.

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