The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, rejected recent threats made by Mossad head David Barnea, warning that any threats to Iran's security would lead to Israel's "life being cut short," Iranian media reported Thursday.
"Go ahead if your previous assassination operations have increased your security. However, you should know that if you make threats against [Iran’s] security, we will have more options and your life will be cut short,” said Salami, calling the threats of assassinations a "joke."
The IRGC chief claimed that Iran has "defeated almost all the destructive and dangerous strategies and policies of the enemy during the past 45 years."
"For more than 10 years, they have subjected us to a comprehensive embargo, but the result is stunning progress in the field of technology, innovation, and creativity in the management of society, to the point that our country is in a much better condition than the embargoing countries."
Salami also referenced the maritime tensions between Iran and the West, stating that "they wanted to prevent our oil exports, but when their ships were seized one after another, they realized that they could not threaten us in practice."
Salami added that the US has been unable to support its allies abroad, pointing to the fall of the Shah in Iran and of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. "Even in the case of the Zionist regime, they cannot provide full support, and this inability has turned into unwillingness to some extent, and the leaders of the Zionist regime are gradually losing hope of their support."
Barnea: Price for terrorism will be exacted in the depths of Iran
Earlier this week, Barnea issued a threat against Iranian leaders, stating "I say from this stage that harming an Israeli or a Jew, in any way, through a proxy or Iranian, will lead to operations against the Iranians who launched the terrorists and against the decision-makers. These prices will be exacted in the depths of Iran, in the heart of Tehran."
"The time has come to exact a price in a different way. Our message is sharp, clear, and determined, to those who decided to launch the cells - be sure that we will reach you."