Iran to react to Zionist regime's regional interventions: Top cmdr.

Tehran, IRNA – Membership of the Zionist regime in the CENTCOM and its participation in military drills can create threats against West Asia, so Iran will not tolerate such threats, a top Iranian commander warned. Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri made the remarks in a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nadeem Raza on June 27, noting that the Zionist regime is atop of interventionist policies and the main destabilizing force in West Asia. The regime hatches plots in a bid to find a way to create relationships with regional states and pursue its interventionist strategies, Bagheri cautioned. The membership of the Zionist regime in the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), as well as its military presence in maneuvers, pave the ground for threatening the region; therefore, the Iranians will not tolerate the threats and will definitely react to it, he mentioned. As to interventions made by the US and the Zionist regime in the region, the Iranian commander said that the formation of terrorist and Takfiri groups in West Asia, particularly in Syria and Iraq, are among the cases that the US and the Zionist regime created and fomented and that they pushed ahead their hegemonic agenda to dismantle both Arab countries' governments. Another example of the consequence of their conspiracies in the region is Yemen, which has been suffering from the crisis of foreign intervention for a long time, he added. The issue of Kashmir is another challenge in today's Islamic World, he said, noting that the Islamic Republic follows up the stance that Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei mentioned, which is support for the oppressed Muslims. Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to the fact that officials and commanders of both Pakistan and Iran have made great efforts to expand a mutual relationship. According to the commander, both nations enjoy remarkable capacities to develop cooperation. Pakistani and Iranian military officials have held several meetings to bolster coordination in order to enhance security and pave the way to increase economic ties in a tranquil situation, he noted. The Islamic Republic of Iran attaches great importance to the development of ties with neighboring states, Bagheri said, arguing that the current administration follows up the issue of cooperation, particularly in border security with Pakistan. Furthermore, he pointed to the impact of developments in Afghanistan on Pakistan and Iran, noting that Tehran is concerned about the expansion of terrorism from Afghanistan, so Tehran has some programs in this regard, which can be implemented with the help of Islamabad and that there is no need for intervention of ultra-regional states in regional affairs. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish