TEHRAN, January 17 (MNA) – Mohammad Sadegh al-Hashemi, Director of the Center for Iraq, says that Iran's message in Tuesday's operations was that the country would give a decisive response to any party threatening its security.Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) had fired barrages of ballistic missiles against facilities belonging to the Daesh and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Takfiri terrorist groups in Syria.
Daesh had claimed responsibility for two explosions that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores of others at a memorial for Iran’s top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman on January 3.
In a simultaneous operation on Monday, the IRGC struck an espionage unit used by anti-Iranian terrorist groups associated with the Israeli regime in Erbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
The operations were carried out after numerous warnings from the Islamic Republic of Iran issued to the main supporters of terrorists in the region, the United States and the Zionist regime.
Despite the efforts of the Western and Zionist media to accuse Iran, experts and political officials of various countries considered this action as a reserved right for the Islamic Republic of Iran in defense of its integrity.
In an interview with Mehr News Agency, Mohammad Sadegh Hashemi said that it is the right of Iran and every country in the world to defend itself against any aggression that threatens its internal and external security, and this issue is recognized by international laws and UN charters.
Iran is the only country whose security and stability have been attacked due to its resistance against the evil plans of the Zionist enemies who wanted to destroy Islam and the Islamic Revolution, which caused the awakening of the nations of the world, he added.
He also underlined that the US has created spying dens and secret camps in the region with the aim of attacking the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the region.
Speaking about the possible consequences of Iran's anti-terrorist operation on the relations between Tehran and its neighbors, Hashemi said that Iran emphasizes three principles in its relations; Respecting neighbors in accordance with international law and Islam, Supporting neighboring countries, especially Iraq in fighting ISIL, and developing relations and preventing aggression.
"But with great regret, America does not want Iran to establish economic, social and cultural security with its neighboring countries, as it used Saddam against Iran for its own interests, and today it has used Erbil against Iran's security," he said, stressing that no other options have left for Iran but a military response.
Iran supported the Iraqi Kurdistan region against ISIL, he said, adding that this indicates Tehran never aimed to invade that region.
He also argued that Erbil is responsible for Turkey's interventions in the north and Iran's military operation against terrorists in that region since Tehran has used many diplomatic methods to convince the Kurdistan region not to provide shelter to the Mossad and the American spying organizations, but they did not respond.
The message of the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Resistance through this powerful operation to the enemies and friends of Iran and the Resistance Front is that they are able to preserve the geography and Islamic interests with determination and will cut off the hands of those who play with their security and destiny, he emphasized.
Hashemi further stressed that Iran and the Islamic Resistance are bound to stabilize their presence in the region and defend their dignity at the same time.
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