Iran's Guards chief likens US conflict to 1980s war with Iraq

TEHRAN, Iran — The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, compared the country's confrontation with the United States to the 1980–88 Iran-Iraq War, in a message addressed to Iran's armed forces. Vahidi said operations over the past six months against "enemies of humanity" had astonished the world and revived hopes of ultimate victory among the oppressed. Vahidi said Iranian forces had brought "the most armed army in history to its knees" through offensive and defensive operations carried out in tough conditions on the southern hot islands and at the cold, high-altitude northern border. He added that the victories in difficult conditions were achieved through reliance on God. According to the statement, the confrontation bears resemblance to the 1980–88 Iran-Iraq War, during which Iranian forces fought off an invasion by Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein. Vahidi said the performance of Iran's forces during the current conflict has echoed widely around the world.