By Xinhua,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said the country’s army was a powerful deterrent to all enemies, an obvious warning to the West against any attack over Iranian interests.
“No major power is able to jeopardize the Iranian nation’s security and interests due to the Iranian people’s power today, Iran’s army, the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij would respond strongly to even the minimum aggression,” Ahmadinejad told a military parade marking the country’s National Army Day in southern Tehran.
Iran has the bravest army in the world, said the president, adding the army of the Islamic Republic indicated resistance and values of the nation today and served as a powerful stronghold to defend Iranians’ dignity.
To mark the annual festival, Iranian military forces layed out their elite weapons in front of the camera lens of domestic and foreign media, including dozens of fighter jets, missiles and tanks, according to a Xinhua correspondent at the scene.
Tensions between Iran and the West have escalated a lot in the past years due to the country’s determination to develop it’s disputed nuclear program.
The UN Security Council has already adopted three sanction resolutions against Tehran’s nuclear program, demanding Iran to suspend the sensitive uranium enrichment work, which could produce fuel but also atomic bombs.
Iran has repeatedly condemned the sanctions, vowing not to retreat on it’s “legal rights” over nuclear energy research.
The United States and Israel have never ruled out the possibility to apply military actions against Iran’s nuclear attempts.
Israel’s national infrastructure minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, last week warned to destroy Iran if it attacked the Jewish state. Tehran immediately responded to the comments by threatening to wipe out Israel if it comes under Israeli attack.
“If Israel wants to take any action against the Islamic Republic, we will eliminate Israel from the universe,” Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, deputy commander of the Iranian armed forces, was quoted as saying by media Tuesday at a news conference ahead of the Army Day.