TEHRAN – The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said on Wednesday that for Iran security and progress are interdependent. 

Major General Hossein Salami made the remarks while addressing a ceremony in Urmia, West Azarbaijan province, where a number of development projects were inaugurated and some anti-poverty projects were launched.

With a reference to the harshest ever sanctions implemented against Iran by the Trump administration, Salami said, “The enemies had envisioned that the sanctions would be a crippling threat to us. But we learned to produce on our own and stand on our feed without relying on foreigners and celebrate our happiness together.” 

The top general said so long the Iranians remain united and stick to the principles of Islam they will remain safe from harms.

“As long as we are united around Islam and Iran, no enemy in the world will be able to inflict the smallest damage on the body of this united ummah.”

“Whatever the enemy says is a prescription for our defeat. Negotiation is a deception.”

He boasting the pride of the Iranian nation in the course of history.

“We are a great nation. History has proven this fact very beautifully. We have grown up in real battlefields and our glory lies in fighting enemies and not stopping against them. We have trodden a harsh path of 40 years in order to reach this dignity and power. The world is praising this majesty and is seeing that this nation is not surrendering.” 

The general added “the enemies had decided to disintegrate Iran and subjugate the people of this land to their own evil will” but the nation has resisted “bullies and ill-wishers”.

The top military commander went on to say that the Iranian nation has turned threats into opportunities.

“Any threat that the enemy has created has been an opportunity for Iran to pull itself up to the zeniths of power and majesty. As much as our enemies have made decisions to pressure the Iranian nation, the people of Iran have turned these pressures into an opportunity to grow powerful.”

“The enemy put us under economic war and pressure. They thought Iran would surrender in the economic war. But Iran and its great Leader turned this threat into an opportunity to boost production and wean the country from its oil-based economy.”

“The enemy put us under economic onslaught and pressure. They thought Iran would surrender in the economic war. But Iran and its great Leader turned this threat into an opportunity to boost production and wean the country from its oil-based economy.”

Salami also said that with the Takfiri scheme, the enemies tried to prevent the dissemination of the ideal of the Islamic revolution.

“But everybody saw that not only did these policies not prevent that, but a unified front was formed against the Zionist regime; and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, through the experience of fighting against proxy wars, has reached a degree of power that in a hypothetical war with the Zionist regime, it will wipe the regime off the map single-handedly.”

He also cited the resistance of the Yemenis against the Saudi invaders with a logistical support from the United States.

The Yemenis, he said, were inspired by the Islamic Revolution in Iran to resist the invaders.

The general suggested that the wellbeing of nations lie in staying away from the ill-wishers, indirectly suggesting that the revocation of the 2015 nuclear deal by the United States and return of sanction coupled with a failure by the Europeans to honor their commitment have left a negative image in the mind of the Iranian people about dialogue with the West.

“The path to safety for nations is to keep away from enemies. Negotiations is a logic which has been forgotten and destroyed in the mentality of the people of Iran… Whatever the enemy says is a prescription for our defeat. Negotiation is a deception, not even a solution. In the negotiations, the enemies increase pressure and amplify their demands and want us to surrender rather than to have dignity.”

He said the enemy is “mischievous” and wants the nations abandon resistance against pressures. 

“The Iranian nation knows this fact and will not respond to it. Through resistance, we preserve our dignity and eradicate poverty and improve our military and defense power.”

The commander went on to note that “besides resistance, we also care for happiness, security, and eradication of poverty. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not see security in the barrels of guns, but we have tied security to progress, development, and eradication of poverty which is the crystallization of faith through the talks of people.”

Salami also said, “Whenever the enemy is, we are there beforehand. We are wearing the service garment in order to make sure that the nation lives in security and happiness and that we bury the hopes of enemies. We believe in God and his help, and it has been through such help that we have been successful so far.”

SP/PA