Jazayeri: Our Policy is to Pursue the Enemy in Distant Lands

The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran announced without providing details that the Islamic Republic has 'moved beyond' the plan to retaliate against American and allied interests in the region in the event of an attack on Iran and has prepared a new military plan titled 'Pursuing the Enemy in Distant Lands,' which is 'a deterrent system that causes regret.' Masoud Jazayeri stated in an interview with the Tasnim news agency on Saturday, June 18, that 'the destruction of enemy bases in the event of encroachment is possible for the region and the geographical area you may have in mind, but we have moved beyond this issue.' He added, 'In fact, if the Islamic Republic is to be subjected to aggression, we will undoubtedly threaten the interests of the U.S., Zionists, and those who may directly or indirectly assist them, but we have moved beyond this limit. Our policy is to pursue the enemy in distant lands.' Jazayeri had previously stated that the Islamic Republic has the 'capability to destroy' U.S. military bases in the region. Meanwhile, in recent years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, and commanders of the Revolutionary Guards have repeatedly threatened that if the U.S. attacks Iran, the Islamic Republic will endanger U.S. interests worldwide. However, Jazayeri said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic has 'moved beyond' these plans and that 'our doctrine has taken a step forward, and we do not stop at the border... we have designed and implemented a regret-inducing deterrent system, and exercises have been conducted on it.' Jazayeri did not refer to the details of the plan he called 'Pursuing the Enemy in Distant Lands' or the 'exercises conducted' related to it. Since the end of the eight-year war with Iraq in 1988, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not engaged in any direct war with other countries, but according to reports, it is currently involved in internal conflicts in four countries—Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon—by sending military and logistical assistance to its allied governments or groups. Meanwhile, commanders of the Revolutionary Guards have spoken in recent years about 'proxy wars.' Ahmadreza Pourdastan, the commander of the Army Ground Forces, said on April 12 that 'we are facing a new atmosphere of proxy wars in Syria.' Pourdastan emphasized on Sunday, April 18, that the presence of Islamic State (ISIS) forces 40 kilometers from 'all borders of Iran,' including Pakistan, is a 'red line' for the Islamic Republic. Masoud Jazayeri, in another part of his remarks on Saturday, stated that Iran's missile capability is 'a deterrent factor,' and 'today we not only have adequate deterrence but also possess regret-inducing deterrence.' He also described statements suggesting that Iran's missile programs 'hinder the advancement of diplomatic relations' as 'a joke,' adding that 'if we lack defensive-missile capability, we will be crushed under the feet of the unjust world system.' Following several missile tests conducted by Iran in the second half of 2015, the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany announced in early April this year in a letter to the rotating president of the Security Council and Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, that Iran's missile tests, which included missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, demonstrate 'disregard' for Security Council Resolution 2231 and require an appropriate response. The Islamic Republic of Iran claims that its missile tests do not violate this resolution or the Vienna nuclear agreement. Despite this, the U.S. imposed sanctions on six companies and two individuals related to Iran's missile program on April 24 this year.