A senior Iranian military commander has disclosed new details about Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Israeli-occupied territories last month, and that 240 fighter jets from the US-led NATO military alliance were scrambled to shield the Israeli regime.
Major General Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, made the remarks in an interview with the Persian newspaper Iran published on Sunday as he outlined new details about the recent anti-Israel operation.
In a multi-pronged attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, the Iranian armed forces launched dozens of drones and missiles at the occupied territories late on April 13 in response to the regime’s aggression on the Iranian diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 1st.
The Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus had killed two generals of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, as well as five of their accompanying officers.
Rashid said Iran’s Operation True Promise ‘overcame the self-proclaimed and illusory deterrence of the Zionist regime, which believed its deterrence was guaranteed by relying on the United States and NATO’.
Underlining that Iran’s retaliatory strikes exposed Israel’s vulnerability, the commander said the United States, backed by NATO’s major powers of the United Kingdom and France as well as some regional countries, had created several layers of defence against the offensive power of Iran’s missiles and drones to protect Israel.
‘However, Iran’s powerful missiles passed through the missile defence shields and crushed the two Israeli military centres of Navatim and Shalakhim,’ he said.
Pointing out that the Israeli regime has not dared to show the world pictures of the two targeted military bases, Rashid said: ‘Had the Americans, British, French and CENTCOM not rushed to the aid of the Israeli regime, 80% of Iran’s projectiles would have pounded the Zionist regime’s military bases.’
The commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters described Operation True Promise as a defeat for Israel’s deterrence and said the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), which was tasked with carrying out the retaliatory strikes, used only a limited portion of its offensive power.
‘The offensive operation was conducted by a unit of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division and this single unit used only 20% of its offensive power,’ Rashid said.
‘On the contrary, the US, NATO, CENTCOM and the Zionist regime, with 240 fighter jets and numerous anti-missile systems stationed on American warships in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, alongside the Zionist regime’s anti-missile systems, fearfully, scrambled to defend themselves.’
The commander said that the single unit is prepared to unleash the remaining 80 per cent of its offensive power and launch another wave of strikes, under orders.
Rashid also emphasised that the US and Western governments are definite partners in the Israeli regime’s crimes against the Palestinians.
The Israeli regime’s aggression on the Iranian diplomatic facilities in Syria drew widespread condemnation from the international community, with Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations saying in a statement that Tehran’s response to Israeli aggression was a ‘legitimate defence’ under the UN Charter.
Meanwhile, Nasser Kan’ani, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, slammed the US and Britain for their ‘full and shameless’ support for Israel.
‘By providing full and shameless support, the US and British regimes have played the biggest role in the war crimes and genocide committed by the Zionist regime during seven months!’ he said.
He also pointed out that Washington and London are now cracking down on the student uprising in support of Palestine.
The Iranian spokesman cautioned the two regimes about their futile efforts to distract the world public opinion from Israel’s war crimes.
‘Through disseminating false information and narratives and fake news, they cannot distract the world public opinion from their disgraceful support for the Zionist regime’s war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people,’ Kan’ani emphasised.
As pro-Palestine demos sweep US university campuses, university authorities, at the behest of Israeli lobbies, have intensified the purge of pro-Palestine professors.
Over the past few weeks, US campuses have become the battleground for demonstrations against the Israeli war on Gaza, resulting in a series of tense and occasionally violent encounters as state forces attack and arrest the demonstrators.
The students are calling for an end to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and demanding schools divest from companies that support the Israeli regime.
Protests are sweeping college campuses nationwide after police at Columbia University – the epicentre of the student protests – attempted to clear a pro-Palestine encampment, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of students.
Brutal tactics are being used by the police, who have also received training from the Israeli regime, specifically on repression, to stifle the student movement.
US police have arrested about 2,400 people during pro-Palestinian protests at 47 college campuses across the country since April 18.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has characterised the growing student protests against the Israeli regime in the United States and Europe as a clash between two currents of ‘honour’ and ‘evil’ in the West.
Addressing a cabinet session on Sunday, Raeisi expressed deep regret over the crackdown on student protests at campuses across the US and some Western countries in support of the Palestinian people.
He added that the West has concealed its ‘authoritarian and anti-human rights’ face behind deceptive slogans and claimed to defend such values.
However, he emphasised, that Israel’s war on Gaza during the last seven months has lifted the veil on the West’s facade.
Raeisi said the US and West failed to respect university students, professors, scientific and research centres as well as freedom of expression and the press and violated human rights.
Such incidents expose the true nature of the Western civilisation to the world and proved the correctness of Iran’s position on the West’s false claims about defence for human rights and freedom.
The Iranian president expressed confidence that the wise presence and resistance of the American and Western students will have effective deterrence in the face of Israel’s crimes and the US support.
He reiterated that Iran pursues supports the scientific and cultural currents’ moves against the Israeli regime.
Raeisi hoped that the message of solidarity and support of the Iranian students and professors would strengthen the US and Western students to protect the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people.
Many leading Iranian universities have offered places and a welcome to those expelled from US colleges for protesting over the ongoing US-backed Israeli genocide against the Gaza Strip.
The American students began their protests on April 18, raging against the war and Washington’s generous support for the brutal military onslaught that has so far claimed the lives of at least 34,683 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
