Military for deterrence, not aggression, says Iranian President

Iran is not an aggressive power and the country's armed forces are for deterrence and not aggression, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday.

The President made the remarks on the occasion of the country's Army Day, Press TV reported.

The Iranian Army is prepared to deal with all kinds of threat but will not be a threat to any other country, Rouhani said. "Our moves are aimed at de-escalation of tensions."

"We are not an aggressive power and our posture is for deterrence," he stressed.

Rouhani also referred to the army's sacrifices during the Saddam Hussein's war against Iran, and noted that the army aviation had big role in supporting the ground force in operations.

He thanked the army for its efforts to preserve security on Iran's borders in the past three decades.

"The current smart and powerful armed forces is highly promoted and should not be compared with that of the holy defence era (Iraq war)," he said.

--IANS

py/vt