Alwaght- Iran's leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said the Iranian Armed Forces should improve their military might as well as spiritual and religious motivations.
"In the Islamic Republic establishment, the main task [assigned] to the Armed Forces is to defend national security boundaries; therefore, the operational capability and spiritual motivations of these forces must be upgraded from day to day,” Ayatollah Khamenei told in a meeting with senior commanders of the Iranian Armed Forces on Sunday.
According to Ayatollah Khamenei, in most countries there are two groups of armed forces with two specific identities: First, a ceremonial and decorative military force without any operational capacity that is only meant for safeguarding government and [ensuring] security of rulers; second, an army force that seemingly enjoys high operational and military capacity that cruel militarism is its sole objective.
Touching on decorative army forces Iran's leader said “There are armies of this kind in our region as well, which some of them have invaded Yemen with full force since more than a year ago and have targeted the people in this country with their barrage of attacks, but they have failed to achieve anything,” said the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
Regarding the second group, the Leader described the performance of the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan as a clear example of armies with pure militaristic identity, saying: “If such armed forces run short of options in the battlefield, they will not shy away from recruiting professional criminal forces like the Blackwater.”
However, Iran's leader described his country's armed forces as an exception, saying “The only armed force in the world, which is both follower [of the Islamic] ‘school of thought’ and has spiritual motivations while being ‘efficacious’ and is acting in a country with ‘political independence’ is the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
“Militarism in the Islamic Republic of Iran is neither a ceremonial and decorative position nor an unrestrained, illogical, inconsiderate and aimless operation,” he added.
Emphasizing that the unique identity of the Iranian Armed Forces must be continuously bolstered, the Leader added: “The Armed Forces do not belong to a specific person or specific party and faction, but belong to the whole nation and country and must be a safe fortress for people and protector of national and public security.”
“By upgrading the operational capability of the Armed Forces, which consists of organization, equipment, training and logistics, along with enhancing spiritual capabilities, which go beyond religious obligations and recommendations and must be created in the depth of the heart of the [armed] forces, the Armed Forces will feel really strong,” said the Leader.
Prior to Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi presented a report on the activities and plans of the Iranian Armed Forces, saying: “The Armed Forces feel obligated to increase their military and deterrence power, particularly by upgrading their arsenal of ballistic missiles and developing missile bases in a bid to defend the sanctuary of the pure Islam and ensure the security of the nation and [the country’s] borders, and on this basis, we believe that under the present circumstances staging military maneuvers is imperative and [such maneuvers] will continue.”
