Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander likens Trump to Saddam Hussein

TEHRAN, Iran — A senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps compared U.S. President Donald Trump to former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, citing Iran's experience during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, one of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's chief advisers, told RT that Iran fought for eight years before reaching what he described as a stage of restoring deterrence. Naqdi said Iran managed to reach agreements with Iraq at various points during the war when its forces reached international borders or specific positions, but argued that sufficient deterrence and control were never established. He contended that without deterrence, any agreement would allow an adversary to rebuild its military capacity and launch a new attack, and said the Iran-Iraq War confirmed that assessment. Referring to the Mersad operation in the final days of the war, Naqdi said Iraqi forces launched new offensives after judging Iran to be in a weakened state, only for the assault to fail. He described Saddam Hussein and Trump as part of what he called arrogant and oppressive powers that pursue an aggression-based approach, and said Iran would not be safe from renewed attacks until its adversaries are convinced that invading an independent state carries a heavy cost.