Iranian Revolutionary Guards, IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani has said that "the road has been paved for Iran's victory over its enemies", while speaking about the role of Iran’s proxies in the region.
Speaking in a national gathering of IRGC commanders, Soleimani said that "barriers are no longer effective against IRGC's might."
He said IRGC has proven to the world that U.S. forces are a "straw army," but did not explain further. However, Soleimani's comment goes against the latest assessment by the prestigious Global Firepower Website which says the U.S. army is the world's most powerful armed force.
Iran ranks 14th in the Global Firepower ranking.
The United States, Saudi Arabia and European powers have said Iran was behind a destructive missile and drone attack on Saudi oil installations in September, but President Donald Trump decided against military retaliation.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Qassem Soleimani is a terrorist. The U.S. has designated the IRGC and its commanders as terrorist entities.
A day before Soleimani's comment, IRGC commander in chief Hossein Salami said that the Islamic Republic is capable of destroying Israel and called for wiping Israel off the map. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei previously called for the destruction of Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Last year, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif denied that Iranian officials have called for wiping Israel off the map, insisting "No Iranian official has ever said that.".
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