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IRGC commander: US, Israel not in a position to attack Iran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Nov 24, IRNA -- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards 
Corps (IRGC) Major General Rahim Safavi said on Wednesday that the US 
and Israel are not in a position to launch a military attack on Iran. 
He told a press conference on the sidelines of a large military 
exercise of one hundred thousand Basij (volunteer forces) that it 
would be foolish if the US opted for military confrontation with Iran.
"The US has been trapped in Iraq and Washington`s Middle East 
warship ran aground in Iraq and Falluja," he said. 
Safavi said that the US has embarked on a psychological warfare 
against Iran and the US threats are not serious for the Basij. 
Major General Safavi said that the US casualties in Iraq exceeded 
10,600 and according to some figures it stood at 14,000 which 
accounted for 10 percent of the American soldiers. 
"Will the American people accept such a high percentage of 
casualties?," he asked. 
On the detrimental impacts of US presence to the Iraqi people, 
Safavi said that the US army brought neither peace nor democracy for 
the Iraqi people. Neither did it bring progress and welfare to Iraq, 
he added. 
"They killed or wounded 100,000 Iraqi people," Safavi pointed out.
Elaborating on Iranian defense strategy, he said that Iranian 
defense strategy focuses on deterrence to foreign aggression. Of 
course, the armed forces are responsible for multilateral defense of 
the country. 
"If the enemy opts for causing trouble to Iran, it will be dealt 
with in kind," Safavi said. 
He said that the Basij has formed 2,500 battalions which are 
well-prepared to defend the country under command of the Supreme 
National Security Council (SNSC) and in cooperation with the Army of 
the Islamic Republic of Iran. 
1416/2322/1432