TEHRAN – Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Central Headquarters, on Sunday advised the U.S. government to “act responsibly” in order to protect the lives of American forces in the region.

“The U.S. government must act responsibly and avoid misconduct in the region in order to protect the lives of the American forces.” Rashid said, according to the Mehr news agency.

General Rashid says the fate of the regional nations is interconnected and that peace and war cannot be divided up.

The general warned that in the event of a military conflict in the region, no country would be able to handle its scope.

He said the fate of the regional nations is interconnected and peace and war cannot be divided up.

“We are not after war but we will powerfully defend the interests of the noble people of Iran against any threat and aggression,” he asserted.

In order to prevent war, Rashid continued, dialogue per se is not enough but resolution and proper conduct are also needed.

The remarks came days after Iran shot down an American spy drone, which ignored the IRGC’s repeated warnings and intruded into the country’s airspace.

The IRGC specified the downed intruding aircraft as a sophisticated U.S.-made Global Hawk, saying it was brought down over the southern coastal province of Hormozgan.

The Guards, however, spared a second spy plane carrying 35 people, for which U.S. President Donald Trump thanked Iran.

MH/PA