The ceremony, being held in the capital, features a parade showcasing the Islamic Republic’s military achievements.
Apart from President Rouhani, the chiefs of the Iranian Army, Air Force, and Navy, as well as the heads of the main divisions of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) are in attendance.
‘A threat to no one’
President Rouhani delivered a speech during the event. He said the Iranian Armed Forces were not disposed to launch an act of aggression against anyone.
“Our Armed Forces will not be a threat to others... We move in the direction of avoiding confrontations and tensions; however, we should always maintain our alertness against conspiracies by others and should enhance our deterrent power day by day,” he said.
The president reassured Iran’s neighbors that Iranian Armed Forces acted to defend the entire “important and sensitive” region of the Middle East.
He said other countries could rest assured that Iran’s military power was “defensive,” not “offensive.”
He promised a “vigorous and determined” response to potential aggressors, however.
President Rouhani also said the Islamic Republic’s Army has always been spoken of fondly, while “some of the world’s armies are reminiscent of intervention in other countries’ internal affairs, genocide, terror sponsorship, coups d’état, and lack of regard for the people’s opinion and law.”
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, earlier issued a message on the occasion, emphasizing that the country’s defensive prowess and deterrence power relied on “domestic knowhow."
Major General Rahim Safavi said while extraterritorial forces were causing instability in the region, Iranian Armed Forces have been providing national security at a level exceeding expectations.
Iran has recently made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and hardware.
The Islamic Republic says its military power poses no threat to other countries and is merely based on the doctrine of deterrence.
