The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran threatens to "attack the center" of Israel
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a sharp threat to Israel on Monday, February 29, during the Army Day parade.
According to Iranian media reports, Mr. Raisi said his "message" to Israel "is that if you are seeking to normalize relations with countries in the region, know that your slightest movement is not hidden from our armed forces, and if you make the slightest move, the destination of our armed forces will be the center of the Zionist regime, and this region will be a slaughterhouse for the Zionists, and the power of our armed forces will not leave you in peace."
Meanwhile, during the Islamic Republic of Iran's army parade on this day, the "Fath tactical ballistic missiles" were displayed for the first time.
Iranian government officials, including the Leader of the Islamic Republic, have threatened to destroy Israel on various occasions, which has been met with harsh condemnation from around the world.
Mr. Raisi's latest threat comes at a time when Iranian and Israeli military activity in the region has increased in recent months. For example, on the evening of January 15, 2021, a large number of citizens in several western Iranian cities reported on social media that they heard multiple explosions and "shooting at a drone," but the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, quoted an "informed source in the armed forces" as saying that the main source of these sounds was "thunder and lightning."
A few weeks later, the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia group, announced in a statement that Israel had bombed areas of Iran with drones from Iraqi territory.
In response to this action, the Revolutionary Guards launched a missile attack on Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, on the evening of March 11, 2021, with 12 ballistic missiles. Following this, groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic announced that this action was "in retaliation" for an Israeli drone attack on a headquarters in Kermanshah.
Esmail Qaani, commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, also claimed in his latest statements on April 15th of this year regarding last month's missile attacks that the target of these missiles was a "Mossad base."
Mr. Qaani also said, "If there is an attack anywhere, wherever and whenever we recognize it, we will definitely deal with Israel," but he implicitly said about why the Islamic Republic does not react to the numerous Israeli attacks in Syria: "If we sometimes have reservations, it is due to consideration for the people and numerous other issues, but this is not a sign of Israeli power."
Iranian officials' threats against Israel have intensified as the Republic of Azerbaijan's increasing cooperation with Israel, as well as the normalization of relations between Arab countries in the region and Israel, have added to the Islamic Republic of Iran's concerns about Israel.
Israeli media recently announced that the country's leaders, during their recent numerous trips to the Persian Gulf countries, are trying to form a coalition with their new allies similar to the NATO pact as a response to the "common threats" posed by Iran to Israel and the countries of the region.
In an unprecedented trilateral meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in early April, the Egyptian President, the Israeli Prime Minister, and the ruler of Abu Dhabi discussed ways to counter Iran's influence in the region and the security risks posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran's movements in the Persian Gulf.
The Israeli website Y.Net reported at the same time that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had outlined to the leaders of Egypt and the UAE at the meeting "his dream of establishing a regional air defense in all dimensions, including laser defense of the type that Israel's military and security industries are producing."
Source: Radio Farda
