Iran must observe the movements of its “enemy” at a distance of 3,000 kilometers from its borders, General Yahya Rahim-Safavi, military advisor to Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former IRGC commander, told a gathering on Tuesday.

Rahim-Safavi, a veteran commander of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, said that future wars will be very different in their nature, technology, duration and intensity and Iran “defensive depth” should be at least 3,000 kilometers.

Iran’s air power is important in maintaining its defense capabilities and becoming powerful, Rahim-Safavi said. In recent days several Iranian military leaders have spoken about the importance of air power.

Iran does not have an effective traditional air force due to many years of sanctions, arms embargos and cost. Instead, it has developed a formidable ballistic missile force, capable of threatening most of the Middle East.

Iran’s Persian Gulf Arab neighbors and the West are concerned about Tehran’s missiles and have demanded a cap on their development.

Iran has also developed several types of military drones, which are used by the Houthis in Yemen and in attacks on Saudi Arabia and targeting oil tankers.

Rahim-Safavi said that Iran’s air power is a “divine force”, and the Supreme Leader has God’s blessing as a religiously ordained leader.

Source » iranintl