Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says the Islamic Republic will never submit to the imprudent demands of hostile powers.
Hatami said Saturday that enemies wrongly think they can force the Iranian people and the Islamic ruling system to give in to their demands through pressure.
“Iranians are resilient and in the past have overcome more difficult and complex times” since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, including the Iraqi-imposed war, acts of terror by the notorious terrorist group, the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), and widespread sanctions,” he said.
"Such threats and sanctions have no impact on the Iranian nation's morale and willpower," the top military official emphasized, Fars News Agency reported.
Special Conditions
Hatami, however, concurred that the Islamic Republic is facing "special conditions" created by the enemies and added that despite the threats "We have opportunities to strengthen the [country's] economic structure." He did not elaborate.
The general referred to the US withdrawal from the historic Iran nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and said the world saw that the enemy "blatantly abandoned all its legal and international commitments" enshrined in the agreement.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 walked away from the nuclear agreement and said he was reimposing economic sanctions on Iran.
Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.
Hatami called on the nation and authorities to be fully prepared to counter the "sworn enemy" and said Iran would continue its path through resistance.
He expressed confidence that despite the difficulties, Iran would turn all the enemies' plots into appropriate grounds for development.
Warning of Retaliation
Earlier on Saturday, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned any country that seeks to endanger Iran's interests, particularly the United States, saying Tehran will retaliate.
"If some seek to endanger the Islamic Republic’s interests, Iran will also endanger their interests," IRGC deputy commander for political affairs Brigadier General Yadollah Javani said.
Javani's remarks came a few days after Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said the armed forces are prepared to give a "crushing response to any threat at any level" against Iran and its legitimate interests.
