AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Major General "Amir Hatami," the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during a visit to one of the Army's combat drone production centers, referring to the current level and extent of the Army's readiness and the agility of this organization's forces, stated, "In the two recent imposed wars, we gained important experiences, including that not even a needle's worth of trust should be placed in this enemy, and efforts must be made to increase readiness."
The Commander-in-Chief of the Army continued regarding the role of unmanned weapons in today's wars, saying, "Today, unmanned weapons, from drones and unmanned vessels to micro-aircraft, with various missions, have found many more applications, and these weapons have a special place in the defense approach of Islamic Iran."
Major General Hatami, regarding the Army's strategy in developing the drones used by this organization, especially Arash drones, stated, "This process began with the participation of the Ministry of Defense and turned into a grand memorandum of understanding between the two organizations, such that today, with strong infrastructure and utilizing the capacity of elites, universities, and knowledge-based companies, it is being carried out as an industrial endeavor. Today, an important part of the Army's equipment is defined by these very drones for a powerful presence in asymmetric warfare."
The Commander-in-Chief of the Army continued, "Today we are specially active in the fields of production, distribution, and maintenance of these weapons, and at the same time, the necessary training for using these weapons has been given to the combatants, and they possess very good skills, and we can say that we have reached good maturity in the field of drones and unmanned systems in general."
Major General Hatami, stating that in the recent wars part of our equipment and facilities was damaged, but the enemy's assumption was that we do not distinguish between symmetric and asymmetric warfare, continued, "Part of the equipment of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran belonged and belongs to symmetric warfare, but a large part of our equipment and facilities relates to asymmetric warfare. In asymmetric warfare, we need special preparations, and we have strived and prepared ourselves to achieve this path."
The Commander-in-Chief of the Army, emphasizing the readiness of all four forces of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, noted, "In the previous asymmetric war, we fought the enemy with equipment that caught the enemy by surprise, because it received very heavy blows. We have assessed the enemy and know that it has significant capabilities, but taking all these matters into account, we have prepared ourselves for asymmetric warfare and the equipment it requires."
Stating that today, in the field of equipment needed for asymmetric warfare, we are in a better position both quantitatively and qualitatively, he said, "We know how the enemy will act and have prepared ourselves to provide a response from the very areas it uses. We assure the dear people of Iran that we are in good condition. The Army's combatants have very good morale and are engaged in producing the necessary equipment."
Major General Hatami, regarding the future and possible events, stated, "The special task of the armed forces, especially the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is to provide security and confront threats. As the martyred Leader of the Revolution said, we assume a one percent threat as 100 percent and prepare ourselves for it. Our enemy today is also a 100 percent untrustworthy enemy and understands no language but the language of force and power. It considers any leniency as retreat and takes a step forward."
Major General Hatami also referred to the Army's actions in the east of the Strait of Hormuz and stated, "In the area of the Navy's mission in the east of the Strait of Hormuz, we have a strong presence in the sea and on the coast; this presence is effective, and we have always emphasized that the enemy has not dared to enter the Sea of Oman, because we see that the enemy has well understood that in this area, a powerful force dominates the affairs. We are monitoring the situation, and if the enemy's vessel enters, it will definitely be targeted. We consider the naval blockade as part of the war and consider the imposer of the blockade as an enemy."
The Commander-in-Chief of the Army, recalling the regulations and rules announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman, noted, "To enforce these regulations, various equipment including naval mines and part of the automatic control systems have been used. Our emphasis has always been that different countries understand the conditions imposed by the American criminals and, to prevent harm to themselves, be in complete coordination with the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
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