Top general: Iran has real doubts about Zionist regime’s adherence to truce
The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has expressed serious doubts about Zionist regime’s commitment to the US-declared unilateral ceasefire and warned that Iran stands ready to respond forcefully should the regime resume its aggression.
Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, in a phone call with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Sunday, said Iran did not start the war but responded with full might.
"We did not initiate the war, but we responded to the aggressor with all our might, and since we have real doubts about the enemy's adherence to its commitments, including the ceasefire, we are prepared to give it a strong response if it repeats the aggression,” he stated.
General Mousavi discussed the 12-day war with Zionist regime and the United States, as well as regional and bilateral issues, in Sunday's phone call with the Saudi defense minister.
Zionist regime unilaterally halted its aggression on Iran last Tuesday after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, which, according to his former advisor Steve Bannon, Tel Aviv had to accept in order to “save” itself as the aggression it launched exceeded its capabilities.
In remarks published on Wednesday, Bannon said the ceasefire, which Trump brokered with the help of Qatar, “was as much to save Israel”.
“That’s the hidden story here,” Bannon said in an interview. “They bit off way more than they could chew. They were played out as far,” he said, as Iran dealt heavy blows to Zionist regime.
The aggression was launched on June 13, targeting Iran's senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, as well as ordinary civilians, including women and children.
In response, Iranian armed forces punished the Zionist regime with a barrage of advanced missiles, which pierced through Israel’s once-vaunted multilayered defense system.
The Iranian armed forces pounded the Israeli regime and its military and industrial infrastructure, using many new-generation missiles that efficiently hit the designated targets.
The Zionist regime and the US invaded Iranian territory despite the restraint shown by the Islamic Republic, while indirect negotiations with the United States were underway, General Mousavi said.
“These two regimes have shown that they do not adhere to any international rules and norms, and this was proven to the world in the imposed 12-day war,” he noted.
Prince Khalid said the Saudi government did not stop at condemning the aggression and has made great efforts to end the war and aggression, IRNA reported.
He also offered condolences for the martyrdom of several Iranian commanders during the recent unprovoked Israeli aggression.
The two sides emphasized the continuation of consultations to develop bilateral relations and establish security and peace in the region, and the important role of Iran and Saudi Arabia in achieving the goal, Iran's official news agency said.