IRGC Deputy-Commander Hossein Salami: Turkey cannot make an impact "even 10 meters away" from its borders

IRGC Deputy-Commander Hossein Salami: Turkey cannot make an impact "even 10 meters away" from its borders. (Memri).

In a December 16, 2015 speech at the second Basij Supreme Assembly in Mashhad, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deputy commander Hossein Salami reviewed the geopolitical developments in the Middle East in the wake of the Russian intervention in Syria. Emphasizing that Iran has triumphed in the Middle East and that its "offspring," that is, its emissaries, are in the eastern Mediterranean, he said that Iran has built great capabilities in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.

Conversely, he said, Iran's enemies are floundering: Turkey wished to become a regional power but in reality it cannot make an impact "even 10 meters away" from its borders; Saudi Arabia's policies are failing in Yemen, Iraq and Syria; and America has lost much of its influence in the Middle East and has become nothing more than a "regular player." He also noted that the power of Iran and its allies "benefited the Iranian nuclear team at the negotiating table."

"Every time that Islam rose, all the polytheists and enemies of Islam launched a military expedition against God's religion – but despite all of these obstacles, Islam found its path of jihad, its arena of influence, and its range of impact.

"It was those who experienced economic sanctions during the Shaab Abi Taleb era and immigrated to Al-Madina from Mecca with Muhammad who spread Islam.[2] All the great global wars that have occurred in the region of the Islamic world were in order to change the destiny of Islam. Wars were even shaped in Europe to topple the Muslims.

"From the day the Islamic Revolution [in Iran] was victorious [in 1979], the U.S. and the Zionist regime attacked 14 Muslim countries, and the U.S. alone attacked seven Muslim countries – but with the grace of God and the blessing of the Jurisprudent [Iran's ruler], in the era of [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini and in the grand era of [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei, Iran thwarted the focus of the enemy's strategy on the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was an artistic performance, and a divine wonder, that at the peak of the military blockade [against Iran] all of these focuses [on Iran] were thwarted. At one point, their artillery shells targeted Ahvaz, and our cities, in order to eliminate the concept called Islam from the political geography of the Islamic world. But Islam, and revolution, were able to change the battlefield.

"Look at the radius of our action today. Our offspring in the eastern Mediterranean are monitoring the developments. The order built by the great powers has completely collapsed. The Red Sea and the Mediterranean, Lebanon, Syria, and Bahrain [were once under] U.S. [influence, but] are no longer so. They [the Americans] have lost huge areas. Today, we are facing complicated developments. But when we study these developments, we realize this divine reality: Victory is in our hands.

"All our enemies have something in common: all of them faced a strategic dead end, and are wandering around, [not knowing how] to continue their policies. Look at Turkey. This country wanted to play the role of the great regional power – but it is incapable of making an impact even 10 meters away from it. [Turkey] felt that the atmosphere was ready for it to reclaim an expanded role. 

But after five years of financial, political, and economic efforts, it has not succeeded in any area. We consider Turkey strategically incapable, [even] with a fancy army. [All its] bluffing and threats [are based on] the support of the Americans. Turkey is incapable of expanding its power; it has a fancy army with stylish equipment, but it has never [even] fought the Kurds. Hmmmm.....Iran no longer needs it's 'lifeline' Turkey it was to be expected that they would turn on them. Read the full story here.

ANKARA- Iran Dpty #Foreign #Minister #Rahimpour warns #Turkey not to get close to #Saudi or risk "paying high price"
(THREAT OF TERRORISM?)

— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) February 12, 2016