Information Minister Praises Iran's Military Readiness
Speaking to army personnel at the Army Ground Forces Headquarters on Tuesday, Yunessi referred to the recent military exercise as a message of peace to regional states and said that the U.S. poses a threat to the region, especially to Iraq.
Meanwhile, Yunessi referred to Iran's détente policy as well as its cooperation with regional countries on security matters and stated that Iranian forces are fully prepared to defend the country should a threatening situation arise.
"Our forces are ready and alert and have a close eye on regional and global developments" said Yunessi.
"We want to have friendly relations with other countries and we voice our strong opposition to a U.S. attack on Iraq," he added.
In the meantime, the minister said that necessary deterrent measures are part of the countries' military agenda and emphasized that the Islamic Republic's defense capabilities should be further enhanced.
"In order to reach our goals we must have military strength, and without sufficient defense power and military strength we will not be able to achieve our aims," he said.
Yunessi cited the many advances made by Iran's Army in terms of manpower, know-how and equipment, and noted that the Islamic Republic's forces are now self-sufficient in many fields and have the invaluable experience that they acquired during the sacred defense era.
"Our foes want to promote division among us so they can fulfill their own interests. It is incumbent upon all groups, parties and organizations to be alert and thwart the enemy's plot," he said.
Yunessi pointed to velayat-e faqih (leadership of the jurisprudent) as the core of the nation's solidarity, and cited the Constitution as well as the lessons and teachings of the late Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, as the pattern and framework that all groups and factions should follow in order avert the looming danger.