TEHRAN – To prevent a war against itself, Iran must increase its military power, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution suggested on Saturday, noting that being militarily vulnerable will prompt the enemy to take action against the country.

“In order to prevent war and in order to put an end to threats we must become powerful,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a number of Air Force officers on the occasion of Air Force Day.

The Leader went on to say, “We are not seeking to threaten any country or nation, rather we are after protecting the country’s security and preventing threats.”

February 8 is known as the Air Force Day in Iran. It dates back to Fab. 8, 1979 when a large number of the Air Force’s staff managed to stage a unified parade in front of the founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini to voice their support for the Islamic Revolution.

Ayatollah Khamenei also said reliance on domestic capacities and turning threats into opportunities are the chief reasons for the successes of the Air Force.

“In addition to repairing and maintenance of aircrafts, the Air Force has successfully planned and manufactured fighter jets in spite of the U.S. sanctions,” the Leader stated.

‘Reliance on oil revenues is main cause of Iran’s problems’

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “If the officials act wisely, we can utilize the sanctions (imposed on the country as an opportunity) to rid the country’s economy from reliance on oil revenues which are the root cause of many problems.”

The current U.S. administration has openly acknowledged that it has imposed the harshest sanctions in history against Iran. This followed after Donald Trump abrogated the multilateral 2015 nuclear agreement in May 2018 and imposed sanctions on Iran. The U.S. has imposed a total ban on Iran’s oil exports.
 
Ayatollah Khamenei said if the former U.S. presidents were advancing “evil” policies not so openly, the current one is following Washington’s “warmongering policies, seditions and greed for others’ assets openly”.

The Leader added the wrong policies that enemies have taken toward Iran “is certainly doomed to failure”.    

Before remarks by the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh praised the 41st anniversary of the February 8 event and presented a report on the activities and programs considered by the force under his command in various sectors.

“We are ready, through strong determination and trust in God” to take any necessary step in every field to “defend the interests of the great Iranian nation in the face of arrogant enemies,” the Air Force commander stated.

Nasirzdeh went on to say that reinvigoration of the Air Force’s combat power, manufacturing spare parts, upgrading the staff’s capabilities, planning and manufacturing drones, producing smart ammunition, repairing the aircrafts’ engines, conducting relief and rescue operation in the flood-hit regions and operationalizing aerial ambulance are among the activities and achievements of the Air Force.

MJ/PA