Washington has unsuccessfully exhausted all of its avenues in trying to provoke conflict with Iran and its capacity to wage a successful war has dried up, the leader of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards has said.

“Today, we are a great and invincible power because we have experienced and defeated all of the enemy’s scenarios,” Major General Hossein Salami said, according to Iranian broadcaster Press TV. He added that Tehran had resisted US efforts to destabilize Iran with political and economic measures and this had effectively eliminated Washington’s pretext for military conflict.



We have been able to shatter enemy psyops and dry up the enemy’s capacity for war.

The commander’s comments came as National Security Advisor John Bolton arrived in the UAE late on Tuesday, ahead of meetings with Emirati allies on security in the region. Speaking on Wednesday, Bolton accused Iran of “almost certainly” being behind recent attacks on oil tankers off the coast of the UAE, however, he has given no evidence to support the accusation.

Also on rt.com Bolton says Iran behind oil tanker attack off UAE...'almost certainly'

In contrast, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has indicated that talks between Tehran and Washington could be kickstarted if the US lifted its economic sanctions against Iran and stood by its commitments in the 2015 nuclear deal.

“Rouhani says door not closed if US lifts sanctions, fulfills its commitments,” Reuters reported Wednesday, quoting Press TV.

Also on rt.com Tehran ready for possibility of war with US, but hopes for dialogue – Iran's deputy FM

Bolton’s visit follows a period of US military buildup in the Gulf region. In addition to sending the USS ‘Abraham Lincoln’ Carrier Strike Group, bomber aircraft and an additional Patriot missile system battery to the area, Washington also plans to beef up its presence on the ground with additional troops. The Trump administration has also been accused of using the threat of Iran to push through arms sales to Saudi Arabia, circumventing a US Congress postponement on arms sales to Riyadh over fears they would be used to kill civilians in Yemen.

However, Salami said Tehran was not concerned about the increased US presence. “We are not worried by enemy intrigues and are in the last phase of the battle against it,” he said.

We have received so many threats that we are saturated with them.

to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!