Iran could render US missiles useless, a senior Iranian military official told the Gulf states on Feb 4 while slamming the American plans to beef up defence in the region. He reiterated that Iran posed no threat to its neighbours.
“Installing anti-missile Patriot missiles is a new trick to empty the pockets of rich Persian Gulf countries,” said General Hassan Firuzabadi, the joint chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces.
“Patriot missiles can be rendered ineffective by simple tactics, and I advise the regional countries, especially Islamic states, not to waste their money on these missiles which have not worked anywhere,” he said.
An Iranian Revolutionary Guards official has disclosed that Iran had developed anti-armour weapons which could combat US Apache helicopters and armoured tanks.
“The enemy should not think their Apache helicopters can have the same power that they have in Iraq and Afghanistan in Iran,” Naser Arab-beigi, who heads the Revolutionary Guards, told Fars news agency.
US President Barack Obama’s administration is reportedly placing ships with missile-targeting capabilities off Iran’s coast, and anti-missile systems in at least four Gulf states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Bahrain has acknowledged that Gulf defence capabilities were being upgraded but urged Iran not to see them as plans for attack.
Ian has carried out frequent war games in the Gulf and paraded an array of home-grown missiles over the past years.
