“The Zionist regime is completely isolated and under no circumstances can it attack Iran unless it wants to commit suicide,” the Iranian state news agency quoted Vahidi as saying. “It is due to the fact that it will receive deadly strikes from Iran.”
Vahidi’s rhetoric strained credulity. It completely ignored the fact that Israel has nuclear weapons and would likely respond to the kind of attack Vahidi described with a devastating nuclear barrage on Iran.
Vahidi said, “Iran is in a unique position in all areas, including manufacture of unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, as well as defense and assault airplanes. Iran has also made great progress in electronic warfare technology, aviation industries and missile technology,” Vahidi said.
Vahidi earlier said the Islamic Republic’s military forces have tracked down locations that will enable them to “paralyze the enemy” in any potential military engagement, Press TV reported.
But the Israelis believe none of that. Earlier this month, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Iran’s missiles were so poor and inaccurate that not even 500 Israelis would die in an Iranian missile attack. Twenty years ago, Iraq let loose with a barrage of 39 missiles aimed at Israel during the 1991 war in which Iraqi troops were expelled from Kuwait. Only one Israeli died from those 39 Iraqi missiles.
As for an aircraft attack, Iranian warplanes lack the range to reach Israel.
Vahidi said, “That war is a kind of war we are not looking for, however, if the enemy seeks to take action, we will use all aspects of our capabilities in sophisticated areas.”
It appeared Vahidi’s rhetoric was not intended to scare Israel, but rather to shore up the morale of Iranian citizens who fear the Islamic Republic’s confrontational policies may result in a military attack on Iran. The Islamic Republic’s claims of vast military capability have reached a new high and a new shrillness in the last few months.