Iranian Chief Of Staff Says Army In High State Of Readiness, US 'Scared' Of Taking Action

TEHRAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2021) The Iranian armed forces are in a high state of readiness, and the United States takes it into account in its activities in the region, Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri said on Monday.

"Iran's deterrent power has prevented the enemies from taking any action. Iranian armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any threat and they are on a high state of readiness," Bagheri said, as quoted by the ISNA news agency.

According to the top military official, the recent US movements in the region reflect this situation.

"The US' decision to pull aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers and the USS Georgia submarine out of the Persian Gulf over the past month and deploy them to locations 1,000 kilometers away from the Iranian coasts reveal that the enemy is fearful of the Islamic Republic's defense power," he argued.

As for flights of US B-52 bombers over the middle East, the general called them "worthless in operational terms."

In early January, Iran held large-scale drills involving "hundreds" of drones, including kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles. Last week, its navy conducted maneuvers in the Gulf of Oman.

In addition, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held exercises with launches of ballistic missiles and attacks on a mock military base.

The activities came amid mounting tensions in the region in light of the first anniversary of the US killing of top IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani in a targeted strike near Baghdad.