The commander of Iran's revolutionary guards (IRGC) says he is certain the United States does not want a war with Iran as a new conflict will pose an all-out threat to Israel."
Speaking in Kermanshah in Western Iran, General Hossein Salami said Iran is engaged in a full-fledged confrontation with the big powers in the world.
He also said that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been terrified by Iran's massive military power during recent events.
However, he said that the enemy’s power is in decline while Iran is growing politically, economically, culturally and socially.
Iran is facing a serious economic crisis with six percent decline in its GDP, forecast by the IMF and the World Bank. Inflation exceeds 40 percent, with many workers both in public and private sectors not receiving regular wages. Labor protests have been frequent in the past two years.
Salami nevertheless admitted that "The enemy is still powerful, has the largest military force in the world and controls the media."
Admitting that the world is governed by logical realities, the IRGC commander said Iran needs to be powerful in order to be capable of confronting its enemy. He added Iran's gets its power from divine blessing.
A report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on world military expenditure (SIPRI) on April 29 has assessed Iran's military spending in 2018 as more than $13 billion.