TEHRAN - Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said on Monday that Iran has not sought and will not seek to be in war with any country, however will counter any aggression “firmly” and “powerfully”.

During his speech at a joint forum of the Iranian military attaches to foreign states as well as defense and police officials, Dehghan also described “defense diplomacy” as an “effective instrument” to advance the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy goals.

“Establishing and expanding security and defense cooperation with the other countries are important strategies and priorities of the Defense Ministry. The military attaches of the Islamic Republic of Iran… should make efforts to apply these strategies without any passivity based on glory and wisdom,” he stated.

He also said since the dissolution of the Soviet Union the U.S. has put Islamophobia and Iranophobia on its agenda to develop a hegemonic system and proxy wars in the Middle East are in line with such a policy.

However, he added, the resistance movement has become a big challenge for the hegemonic powers.

He also said that the U.S. and the Zionist regime of Israel are making every efforts to undermine regional security through forming coalitions, urging the regional countries to counter such moves that seek to undermine stability and security 

NA/PA