President Rouhani: Iranian Armed Forces Serve Regional Security

Speaking at a military ceremony marking the National Army Day in Tehran on Thursday, President Rouhani took a swipe at the US for blacklisting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), saying the enemies are mistaken to assume that the IRGC is only a military force.

The IRGC forces are part of the nation who are present in every part of the society and are supported by people, the president underlined.

He also denounced the US and the Zionist regime for attempting to disrupt peace in the region, saying the US military presence in any part of the region has only resulted in destruction, homicide and displacement of people.

President Rouhani also decried the US decision to use terrorist groups as proxy forces in the region which benefited from American arms and air support.

He said the only powers that neutralized the US “ominous role” in the region were the Iranian Armed Force, the regional nations, and particularly the IRGC.

The US is angry at the Iranian nation for forty years of resistance and at the Iranian armed forces for standing against the hostile plots, he noted.

The president also stressed that the US is exasperated with the IRGC and all popular forces in the region, including the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi, the Yemeni popular forces, and any other power that disobeys its policies.

The regional nations have been able to stand against the US, its regional mercenaries, and the Israeli regime with the help of the Iranian armed forces and the IRGC, the president added, saying all of the proxy terrorists in the Middle East have been forced out of the territories they had once occupied.

“The US’ path is wrong and the US leaders are mired in their delusions,” President Rouhani added.

There is no doubt that the Iranian Armed Forces are more powerful than ever, he added, noting that the country’s territorial seas and the neighboring waters are safer than ever thanks to the Iranian military forces.

Iran is after independence and stability of the regional nations and tries to end terrorism in the region, he underlined.

The president said the Iranian Armed Forces are honored to have fought against terrorism, highlighting the “big strides” taken by the IRGC in this regard.

The terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Syria have been defeated thanks to the efforts of the Iranian Army and the IRGC who provided help at the request of the regional governments, he added.

The president further emphasized that the Iranian Armed Forces are never against the regional nations, the Muslim countries and the neighboring states or their interests.

The Iranian Armed Forces stand against the aggressors, he stressed, saying Iran’s military power is equivalent to the power of the regionals countries and the Islamic world.

Zionism and the US arrogance are the root causes of problems in the region, President Rouhani added, saying the regional nations have a long history of peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness.

The Iranian president finally called for collective action against terrorism and for restoration of the historical rights of the regional nations with fraternity.