Iran’s civilian and military leaders today dismissed threats from the Trump administration and vowed to continue and increase the country’s controversial missile activity. “Every day Iran will increase the number of its missiles, warships and defense missile launchers. And the sky, the earth and the sea are under the control and domination of the Iranian nation,” said Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.). “The enemies want us to act in line with their wishes, and they have today amassed all their power to confront our great revolution. But their designs have failed,” he added. Salami further claimed the latest statements by the Trump administration were part of Washington’s “psychological warfare” against the Islamic Republic.
Separately, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, also emphasized that “Iran will forcefully continue its missile activity,” and that Iran will not seek permission from outsiders to develop its military power. He added that the Trump administration is “novice” and “inexperienced” and must learn from its predecessors’ mistakes and defeats in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The tension between the two countries has been escalating since U.S. officials revealed on Monday that Iran had recently test-fired a ballistic missile. U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn said yesterday that the test was “provocative” and violated the U.N. Security Council resolution 2231. Earlier today, President Donald Trump tweeted "Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE" and should have been "thankful" for the "terrible deal".
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