Iranian military leader warns America not to cross Iran's 'red lines'

Assistant Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri warned on Monday that his country would not allow the Americans to cross Iran’s “red lines”.

Iran’s official news agency IRNA quotes Jazayeri as saying: “We don’t allow the Americans and others to cross our redlines and if necessary, we will encounter them.”

Commenting on the nuclear talks happening in Vienna, Jazayeri observed that: “Americans know that Iran’s military and defence achievements are red lines for us. By putting more pressure on Iran, they are trying to blackmail us to get more concessions in the nuclear issue.”

“In the issue of nuclear energy and sanctions against Iran, the US has made a strategic mistake based on a strategic illusion, imagining it can make the Islamic Republic change its behaviour,” he noted.

He further explained that: “Differences in views, specially around such a vital discussion as Iran’s nuclear issue, are considered to be natural,” but he criticised the western states for not “practicing the pragmatism” that is necessary to resolve the dispute.

However, Jazayeri also added that: “The window of opportunity is still open for the western parties to step onto the realm of pragmatism.”