Iranian Army Chief: New Security Situation in the Region

US Central Command distributed a photo of a fighter jet flying over a destroyer in Arab Gulf waters on August 15 (AFP)
US Central Command distributed a photo of a fighter jet flying over a destroyer in Arab Gulf waters on August 15 (AFP)
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Iranian Army Chief: New Security Situation in the Region

US Central Command distributed a photo of a fighter jet flying over a destroyer in Arab Gulf waters on August 15 (AFP)
US Central Command distributed a photo of a fighter jet flying over a destroyer in Arab Gulf waters on August 15 (AFP)

Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi commented, on Saturday, that a “new security situation has emerged in the region.”

The army chief said that the new situation presents opportunities for Iran but also brings significant threats.

“The world is in turmoil, awaiting the establishment of a new order,” he emphasized.

Mousavi pointed to a shift in tactics by adversaries, noting their turn towards cyber warfare, informational tactics, economic battles, and incitement of disturbances.

Mousavi’s remarks were made at the 24th meeting of the Supreme Assembly of Commanders of Iran’s Revolution Guards Corps in Tehran, according to “Fars” news agency.

“At the present time, the chaos of the capitalist system, the growing trend of Russia and China's confrontation with the US, and the de-dollarization trend in global transactions on the one hand and the authoritative presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region on the other hand, have created suitable opportunities for our country,” he said.

Mousavi highlighted that, regionally, over the past four decades, Iran identified four primary centers of threats.

The first of these is the “US military presence in the region and its surrounding environment.”

The second he described as “threats from Israel, which for the past 75 years has embodied a source of conflict and war.”

“Over the past forty years, Israel has consistently been involved in conspiracies and malevolent activities against Iran,” noted Mousavi.

The third center of threat “relates to certain regional governments that have posed threats to Iran by fostering anti-security mechanisms and exhibiting costly behaviors.”

The fourth and final center is “terrorist organizations supported by the US and its regional allies.”

Mousavi believes that the threat against Iran today “has weakened compared to past decades.”

He added that “an effective regional defense model has been established to enhance deterrence against adversaries.”



EU’s Borrell Reiterates Call for Ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon

 (L-R) Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Japan's Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani, Italy's Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto, Canada's Minister of National Defense Bill Blair, German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pose for a family photo at the G7 Ministers' Meeting on defence in Naples, Italy, 19 October 2024. (EPA)
(L-R) Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Japan's Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani, Italy's Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto, Canada's Minister of National Defense Bill Blair, German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pose for a family photo at the G7 Ministers' Meeting on defence in Naples, Italy, 19 October 2024. (EPA)
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EU’s Borrell Reiterates Call for Ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon

 (L-R) Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Japan's Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani, Italy's Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto, Canada's Minister of National Defense Bill Blair, German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pose for a family photo at the G7 Ministers' Meeting on defence in Naples, Italy, 19 October 2024. (EPA)
(L-R) Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Japan's Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani, Italy's Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto, Canada's Minister of National Defense Bill Blair, German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pose for a family photo at the G7 Ministers' Meeting on defence in Naples, Italy, 19 October 2024. (EPA)

Defense ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy democracies kicked off their meeting on Saturday with host country Italy warning the global security framework is growing increasingly precarious due to competing visions of the world.

The EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and the freeing of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, saying Israel’s killing of its leader, Yahya Sinawar, should be seized as an opportunity for the cessation of hostilities.

Borrell also urged respect for the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, which were recently targeted by Israel.

He told reporters the morning session mainly focused on the Middle East, and said the UN mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, could be reviewed but it would be up to the UN Security Council to make decisions on its future.

"Some of the members of this (G7) meeting are important members of the Security Council too," Borrell said.

Italy is a major contributor to UNIFIL which is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel. Israeli attacks have angered Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who visited Lebanon and Jordan on Friday.

The G7 gathering marks the group's first ministerial meeting dedicated to defense and comes a few days after Israeli forces killed Sinwar, whose death some Western leaders said raised the chances of an end to the conflict in Gaza.

Italy holds the G7 rotating presidency for 2024 as the West also grapples with the Russian advance in Ukraine and China's military activities around Taiwan, as well as heightened tensions along the border of North and South Korea.

"The brutal Russian aggressions in Ukraine and the indeed critical situation in Middle East, combined with the profound instability of sub-Saharan Africa and the increasing tension in the Indo-Pacific region, highlight a deteriorated security framework," Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in his opening speech.

Italian officials said Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had joined colleagues in the southern Italian city of Naples, where a discussion on developments in his country is expected.

Warning that near term forecasts for global security "cannot be positive", Crosetto - a prominent member of Prime Minister Meloni's Brothers of Italy party - said tensions were fueled by a confrontation between "two different, perhaps incompatible visions of the world."

On the one side are the countries and organizations that believe in a world order based on international law, Crosetto said, while "on the other side, (there are) those who systematically disrespect democracy to pursue their objectives, including by a deliberate use of military force."

Before the meeting, Crosetto welcomed photographers holding a model of a tiny red animal horn, a symbol of good luck according to time-honored Neapolitan tradition.

Besides Italy, the G7 includes the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany and Japan, with European Union and NATO representatives also attending the gathering in the southern Italian city.