IRGC chief says Iran not afraid of war

CAIRO – 20 May 2019: Iran does not seek war, but is not afraid of it either, head of the elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Hossein Salami said on Sunday.

The newly appointed chief commander of the Guards was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying “fear of war” is what distinguishes Iran from the United States and adding, “America is afraid of war and does not have the will for it”.

The remarks came during a ceremony to introduc new commanders for the IRGC departments.

On Saturday, Salami taunted the Trump administration with 9/11 imagery, making a cruel reference to the attacks on the 2001 World Trade Center.

“The US political system has an apparently huge body, but suffers from osteoporosis,” Revolutionary Guard head Gen. Hossein Salami told the Fars news agency. “In fact, the US is like World Trade Building that collapses with a sudden hit.”

The remark came as tensions between Iran and the United States escalated.

While the U.S. dispatched additional naval and air power to the Gulf region earlier in May to send a “signal” to Iran, two attacks took place that intensified tensions and raised the alarms of an impending clash.

Four civilian ships were attacked in the Gulf of Oman and Yemeni Houthi drones hit Saudi oil installations.

Nevertheless, in recent days both sides have somewhat mellowed their rhetoric and emphasized that war is unlikely.