Chief Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami delivers a speech during the funeral of Razi Moussavi, a senior commander in the Quds Force of IRGC who was killed on Dec 25, 2023 in an Israeli strike in Syria, in Tehran, on Dec 28, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
TEHRAN - Chief Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami said on Wednesday that the country is not after war but not afraid of war either, vowing to let no threat go unanswered, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a national congress to commemorate the country's martyrs in Tehran, reacting to some threats uttered by US officials against Iran over the past few days.
"We are not warmongers, but they impose wars on us. Therefore, we defend our causes and do not let foreigners interfere in our internal issues. We are independent," Salami said.
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Condemning the "unjustified" threats from US officials, he said: "We do not leave any threat unanswered, and even though we are not after war, we do not fear (it), and we resist."
Salami's remarks came after US President Joe Biden linked Iran to the recent killing of three US soldiers at a military base in northeastern Jordan near Syria's border. Biden said the United States "will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing".
US President Biden bows his head in a moment of silence for the three American troops killed on Jan 28, 2024, in a drone strike in northeast Jordan, while speaking at the "Sunday Lunch" event at the Brookland Baptist Banquet Center, part of the Brookland Baptist Church, in West Columbia, SC, on Jan 28, 2024. (PHOTO /AP)
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Monday rejected the country's involvement in the drone attack targeting the US forces in Jordan, saying the accusation is "baseless and provocative".
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On Tuesday, Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations warned in a statement that any attack against the country, its interests, and its people would receive a crushing response from Tehran, the official news agency IRNA reported.
Tehran-Riyadh ties ‘not allow third parties' interference’
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Iran and Saudi Arabia should not allow interference by third parties aimed at souring their bilateral relations, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported Wednesday.
He made the remarks in a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Iran Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi on Tuesday while elaborating on the status quo of bilateral relations.
Some (parties) seek to interfere in and sour the Tehran-Riyadh relations, which should not be allowed.
Ahmad Vahidi, Iranian Interior Minister
"Some (parties) seek to interfere in and sour the Tehran-Riyadh relations, which should not be allowed," Vahidi said.
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He added that constructive cooperation and interaction between Iran and Saudi Arabia would be in the interests of the Muslim world and the whole region, noting that the two countries are determined to improve all-out bilateral relations.
The Saudi ambassador called for activating and updating a security agreement between the two countries signed 20 years ago to prepare the ground for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in various areas, including fighting terrorism, organized crimes, and drug trafficking.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Wednesday also exchanged views on the progress of bilateral ties and the developments of regional issues. In a phone call, the two sides expressed satisfaction with the growing trend of bilateral relations, and discussed issues related to the resumption of flights carrying Iranians to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
