Military chief: Iran opposes war in region, won’t tolerate any border changes

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri warns that the Islamic Republic will not stand any change in regional borders, urging neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia to settle their border dispute peacefully.

“As we have repeatedly announced, we will not tolerate any changes in the borders of the region and we recommend the two countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia to solve their problems through peaceful channels and dialog,” Baqeri said on Thursday addressing a ceremony to mark the Sacred Defense Week.

He added that Iran opposed war and conflicts in the region and would not remain silent in the face of them.

The latest conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted at midnight September 13, minutes after a ceasefire agreement between the two countries came into force.

It is the most recent flare-up in tensions between the two estranged neighbors since thousands were killed in a 44-day war over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh that ended in November 2020.

The deadly conflict, which claimed over 65,000 lives on both sides, ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire, but tensions continued.

The new border conflict has so far claimed the lives of more than 200 people.

Persian Gulf neighbors cautioned about Israel activities

Elsewhere in his remarks, Baqeri warned the southern littoral countries of the Persian Gulf against the Israeli regime’s seditious plots in the region.

“The presence of the Zionists disturbs the security of the region,” he said, adding that the Iranian Armed Forces are monitoring all the movements of the Israeli regime there.

“If we feel a threat, we will deal with the elements of the Zionist regime and their supporters simultaneously,” the high-ranking Iranian military official pointed out.

He emphasized that the Iranian Armed Forces would give a decisive response to any act of miscalculation by the enemies.

“We want a region free from threats and full of friendship and cooperation in West Asia. The US and the Zionist regime pose a threat to regional security and we hope to have a future without these threats,” Baqeri said.

Iran, Russia, China to hold joint naval drills

Speaking on the sidelines of the parades, Baqeri said Iran, Russia and China plan to hold joint naval drills within the next three months. He told reporters that the maneuver would be held in the north of the Indian Ocean. The general noted that Pakistan, Oman and a number of other countries would probably take part in the drills.

On Iran’s military might

The Iranian general further added that the Sacred Defense proved that resistance is necessary to having a dignified and secure life.

Iran’s Armed Forces holding parades to mark start of Sacred Defense Week

Iranian Armed Forces hold military parades across the country to mark the beginning of the Sacred Defense Week.

He said Iran’s military might pursues merely defensive purposes, adding that the country’s lasting deterrent power has prepared the ground for progress in various fields.

Iranian Armed Forces held military parades across the country and in the Persian Gulf waters to mark the Sacred Defense Week, which marks the anniversary of the 1980-88 Iraq-imposed war.

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