A top Iranian commander said on Thursday that Iran was not moving towards a war but was not afraid of any conflict, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported after US President Donald Trump said Tehran was behind anti-US protests in Iraq.
Trump accused Iran of orchestrating demonstrations at the US embassy in Iraq on Tuesday and said Tehran would be held responsible. Iran has rejected the accusation.
“We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation. We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried,” Revolutionary Guards Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami was quoted by Tasnim as saying.
Trump had said in a tweet on Tuesday that Iran would be “held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.” He later said he did not want or foresee a war with Iran.
Iran's Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Thursday his forces were ready to confront the "enemy".
“Our armed forces ... monitor all moves, and if anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively react, and if the situation heats up, we will show our abilities to the enemy,” Mousavi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday condemned US attacks on Iranian-allied militias in Iraq, blaming the United States for violence in Iran's neighbor.
Iran protested on Wednesday to a Swiss envoy, who represents US interests in Tehran, over what it called “warmongering statements” by American officials.

Iran not heading to war but not afraid of conflict: IRGC commander

A top Iranian commander said that Iran was not moving towards a war but was not afraid of any conflict. (File photo: AFP)
Reuters, Dubai
Thursday 02 January 2020
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 10:05 - GMT 07:05
DAY | WEEK |
-
17803 Views Loud explosion heard in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh
-
4081 Views COVID-19 vaccine might be needed every year: UAE health spokesperson
-
3958 Views Sinopharm Peru vaccine trial volunteer dies of COVID-19 pneumonia, received placebo
-
3664 Views Israel talks tough on Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas: Our response to be extreme in next war
-
3049 Views US Senate Republicans unite behind failed efforts to halt Trump impeachment trial
-
1557 Views Coronavirus: US pharmacist tries to spoil COVID-19 vaccines, pleads guilty
-
24424 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
19891 Views Saudi Arabia’s PIF to invest 3 trillion riyals over next 10 years: Crown Prince
-
17803 Views Loud explosion heard in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh
-
11134 Views The American University of Beirut’s battle for survival
-
9472 Views Full moon to align directly above Kaaba in Mecca on Jan. 28
-
8694 Views Coronavirus: Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners
SHOW MORE