Trump can’t impose his power on Iran; we can withstand any war: Parliament speaker

Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf has asserted that US President Donald Trump cannot impose his power on Iran, pledging that the country would stand firm in the face of whatever instance of warfare the enemies were trying to impose on it.

The top legislator made the remarks on Tuesday, addressing a ceremony honoring veterans of Sacred Defense, a reference to the nation’s various bouts of sustained and successful resistance in the face of foreign aggression.

“Trump is facing a historic civilization and a national and religious resistance. He must understand that he cannot impose his power on the Iranian people and the Armed Forces,” he said.

“Today, in the hybrid, economic, military, diplomatic, and other forms of warfare, we will never surrender,” the official stated.

“We will respond with strength, just as we have done so far, and have rendered the enemy incapable of performing effectively on any arena.”

‘From wartime constraints to unrestricted missile capability’

Referring to the experience of the 1980-88 war imposed by Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein, Qalibaf reminded how, back at the time, Iran was facing severe limitations, including restrictions on the supply of basic military equipment.

During those years, “they would not even sell us barbed wire, and our artillery fire could not reach targets more than 14-15 kilometers away, and even artillery shells were being rationed,” he noted.

He attributed Iran’s subsequent development of military capabilities to the culture of Sacred Defense being etched into the nation’s mentality.

“But this culture enabled us to reach a point today where we can strike any location we choose with our missiles, without limitation,” the official added.

Qalibaf also referred to the approaching Sacred Defense Week and honored the memory of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, saying this year’s occasion marked the first one in which “our commander is no longer in our midst.”

“Had it not been for the martyr’s foresight and strategic vision, perhaps the culture of Sacred Defense would not be helping the country in the way it does today.”

Additionally, he credited founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini and the martyred Leader’s son and successor, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with institutionalizing “the rich culture of defense.”

Thanks to the culture, “we have stood firm” against the enemy’s war efforts, the Parliament speaker noted.

‘Negotiations also a field of struggle’

Qalibaf concluded by reemphasizing Iran’s deterrence capabilities and its position on negotiations.

“The country possesses sustainable deterrence capabilities, and we can stand up to them (the adversaries),” he said.

“The enemy should understand that negotiations are also a field of struggle; diplomacy is not surrender, but the conversion of power on the ground into political gains,” he said.

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