Former Iranian minister: US sending forces to the region provides Iran “targets”

Al-Arabia – The US is providing Iran with “good, within reach targets” by sending forces to the region, a former Iranian defense minister and current military advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Monday.

Iran does not view the deployment of US forces in the region as a threat, said Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan, adding: “By bringing forces to the region, America has created good, within reach targets for us.”

Dehghan, who spoke to Iran’s al-Alam TV channel on Monday, claimed that a “Western-Arab-Israeli triangle” is behind the instability and insecurity in the region.

By downing a US drone on June 20, Iran “proved its determination to respond to any probable action is serious, and that it can manage its consequences,” he said.

Dehghan continued: “The events of the past few months in the region have proven that if Iran is to face insecurity, so will everybody else … if we cannot export oil, others should not be able to either … if we are threatened, others will be threatened too … if they attack, they should await a more severe one in response.”

Protests in Iraq and Lebanon

Dehghan attributed the ongoing anti-government protests in Iraq to Iran’s opponents, namely the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Iraq is targeted for being a member of the “resistance axis,” he said. The “resistance axis” is a term Iran uses to describe its network of proxies, allies, and terrorist organizations in the region.

The anti-government protests in Lebanon are a conspiracy against Lebanese Hezbollah, said Dehghan.

The elimination of Hezbollah’s military power and social base are the goals behind what is going on in Lebanon, he claimed.

“It is being implied that Hezbollah is behind Lebanon’s problems … their goal is to neutralize Hezbollah’s power in Lebanon,” said Dehghan.Last Update: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 KSA 15:37 – GMT 12:37