Iran’s Defense Minister: Surprises will Inflict Severe Pain on Aggressors

By Staff, Agencies

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said Tehran has prepared decisive “surprises” to confront any threats, warning the US and Israel that any act of aggression will be met with severe pain and suffering through unexpected retaliation.

Speaking on the sidelines of a mass rally in Tehran on Monday afternoon to condemn days of deadly foreign-backed riots across the country, General Nasirzadeh said those politicians who are threatening Iran must take note of the country's splendor and grandeur, and bear in mind that the Islamic Republic’s hard and soft power originates from its nation.

"The Iranian nation will now allow those ranting and raving [against the country] to challenge the Islamic establishment, which has been nurtured by the blood of hundreds of thousands of martyrs, through a bunch of mindless thugs,” Iran’s defense chief pointed out.

He went on to address US President Donald Trump, cautioning that all US interests across the globe will come under attack should Washington commit a folly and unleash attacks on Iranian facilities and installations.

Nasirzadeh also noted that any country that would facilitate the US-led act of aggression, or provide a military base for such an offensive, will not be spared at all.

“We will have surprises in the offing to counter threats, and aggressors will have to endure a great deal of pain and suffering as a result of these surprises,” he said.

Large crowds of people took part in rallies in Tehran and across the country on Monday, with demonstrators carrying placards in condemnation of foreign interference as they pledged allegiance to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei

The demonstrations came in response to days of foreign-backed riots, during which dozens of security personnel, in addition to ordinary people, were killed in terrorist attacks. The Iranian administration declared three days of national mourning on Monday.

While officials have acknowledged legitimate economic grievances, linked to unilateral US sanctions targeting Iran’s oil and banking sectors, they have drawn a clear distinction between peaceful protest and violent rioting.