Ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as US president later this month, Iran warned the new administration in Washington against strategic mistakes and threatened a prolonged military conflict, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
“Be careful, do not make any strategic mistakes or miscalculations“, said Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), without directly naming Trump.
According to Salami, “the enemy“ may believe that Iran is weakened, but Iran is up to the task of war, he said, adding that the country is ready for “large and prolonged battles against the enemy and its allies in the region“.
Despite these statements, experts believe that Iran is in a weakened position. Following the events in Lebanon and the change of power in Syria, the country is suffering from significant political and economic problems.
Energy shortages and severe air pollution have forced the government to close schools, universities, banks and public institutions in recent weeks.
Experts fear that the situation could become even more critical after Trump takes office. Some even believe that Israel could launch a military attack on Iran.
To prevent panic among the population, Iran has publicly emphasized its military modernization to maintain its image as a regional power.
Yesterday, Iran also held air force exercises, during which the country's defense systems practiced firing against air and missile threats and countering electronic warfare threats.
The Iranian military said it was using new drones and missiles in the exercises and released footage showing a new underground "missile complex" visited by General Salami.