Army Chief vows firm response to any threat against Iran’s sovereignty

Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army says the Armed Forces will stand firm in the face of any threat or hostility to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

In a message addressing the Iranian nation, Major General Amir Hatami said on Friday that the Army has always relied on the power and support of the Iranian people to defend the country.

He added that by strengthening Iran’s defensive capabilities, the Army remains committed to its core mission of “safeguarding the nation’s independence and territorial integrity.”

Marking Iranian Teachers’ Day, the commander said the country’s Armed Forces have “drawn upon the wisdom of dedicated educators and the teachings of the Leaders of the Islamic Revolution to bolster their combat readiness.”

Iran’s Armed Forces have shown resilience in the face of 40 days of airstrikes by the United States and Israel after they launched an unprovoked war of aggression against the country in late February.

In response to the aggression, the Armed Forces carried out more than 100 waves of missile and drone strikes against Israeli targets and US bases in the Persian Gulf.

Despite an ongoing ceasefire agreed upon between Tehran and Washington in early April, US President Donald Trump continues to threaten the country with military aggression, while refusing to lift a so-called naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.

Iran has maintained that the blockade amounts to piracy and warned that if the security of its ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, no other port will be safe.

In the meantime, the Armed Forces have reciprocated by closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz to all traffic, with the exception of vessels that obtain permission for transit from relevant Iranian authorities.

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