Iranian general advises enemy not to endanger Iran’s vital interests

TEHRAN,Dec.19(MNA) - A senior Iranian military official said that if the enemy attempts to endanger Iran’s vital interests, the country will also put the enemy’s vital interests in danger at the same level or even higher. The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, made the remarks in Tehran on Tuesday during a conference on the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. He also stated that the importance of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf is not just because of oil reserves, but because the Middle East is a strategically important region. Elsewhere in his remarks, Salami said that when the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran the world order was shaken up, and after that the collapse of the Soviet Union brought another shock to the balance of power in the world. Commenting on the possible deployment of Patriot missiles along Turkey’s border with Syria, Salami said that Tehran is opposed to the presence of foreign military forces in the Middle East region and stated that it may help intensify the arms race in the region.