Iran is not looking to go to war, but the country isn’t afraid to fight one, a top Iranian military leader said.
Amid growing tensions between the United States and Iran, Revolutionary Guards Cmdr. Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami warned the U.S. that his country would not shy away from fighting a war.
“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,” Salami said Thursday, according to Reuters. “We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried.”
Iran’s army chief Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi echoed those sentiments and said that Iran is closely monitoring the U.S.
“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 said.
On Tuesday, President Trump offered a warning to Iran, accusing the nation of orchestrating a protest at the U.S. embassy in Iraq, during which people tied to Iranian-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah lit a fire and chanted “death to America.”
“The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site. Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request,” he tweeted.
“Iran will 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. Happy New Year!” the president continued.
….Iran will 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. Happy New Year!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
The embassy protests broke out after the U.S. conducted airstrikes along the Iraq-Syria border that killed at least 25 people linked to the militia group. Trump dispatched 100 Marines from Kuwait to help stabilize the situation.
