Iran: Israel too small to pose threat, says army chief

The head of the Iranian army, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, responded today to the claim by Israel’s chief of staff that the occupation state is capable of striking Iran without the help of the US, it has been reported on Quds Force channel.

“Whoever has a basic knowledge of the military capabilities of the two sides would realise that the Zionist regime’s power might be comparable in size to the updated scale of one of the many military operations that Iran performed during eight years of war in the 1980s,” said Mousavi. “The Zionist regime, which is drowning and whose signs of collapse have become clearer than ever, is too small to be considered a threat to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces, Herzi Halevi, had told Israel’s Army Radio that the IDF is prepared to carry out a pre-emptive attack on Iran, even without the help of the US. “We are ready to act against Iran. The Israeli army has the ability to strike both in distant countries and near home. In the coming years, the IDF will significantly strengthen its capabilities for a [pre-emptive strike on Iran] and, despite the distance, such a strike will be overwhelming.”

Halevi ended the interview by saying: “We know how to act alone. We are a sovereign nation that reserves the right to make its own decisions. It would be good to have the United States on our side, but it is not an obligation.”

The Israeli army confirmed its belief last Monday that Iran is seeking, through its proxies, to inflame the situation on the ground, and that it is working to ward off risks.

Last week, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the killing of Milad Heidari, one of its military advisers, in an Israeli airstrike on Syria. The IRGC vowed to respond. The Mehr news agency reported that another military adviser, Miqdad Mahqani, was wounded during the Israeli attack and died of his wounds.

READ: Israel demonises worshippers to justify its raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque