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The extraordinary outburst came from Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s deputy commander for cultural and social affairs. Speaking on Iraqi television network Al-Nujaba, the general scoffed at the idea of a US attack on Iran and warned of a swift response if it did. He said: “America will not launch a war against Iran. If it does — a possibility that I rule out — we will destroy all its military bases in the region."

We will destroy all America's military bases in the region Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi

He continued: “We currently stand before the gates and barbed wire of their compounds and if they make a wrong move, we will cross those barbed wire fences.” Gen Naqdi also dismissed Saudi military capabilities and described the idea of a Saudi attack on Iran as “very laughable”. He said: “We have a Farsi proverb that goes, ‘You cannot compare an ant to an elephant’. “Saudi Arabia is incapable of controlling even its domestic front. It uses fighter planes to bomb small neighborhoods in Saudi Arabia.

Iranian troops could overrun US bases in the Middle East, a top general has claimed

“I believe that Saudi Arabia is much weaker than you might think. “If we gave the order to a division in any of our 30 provinces, it would be able to defeat and destroy Saudi Arabia. “It’s true that Saudi Arabia has many advanced weapons, but it cannot face an army like Iran’s.” Get Naqdi reserved his most chilling threats for Israel.

He said: “Israel must be destroyed and wiped out. “There is no doubt that the Zionists must be annihilated and destroyed. This will definitely happen. “Neither Russia nor any other country can intermediate between us and the Zionists. “The Islamic revolution in Iran will not back down even an inch from its position regarding the wiping out of Israel. “We were, we are, and we will continue to be the soldiers of Imam Khamenei until our last breath and until the last drop of our blood. “I myself will hoist the flag of the Islamic Revolution in Jerusalem, Allah willing.”

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi

Iran has vowed to "wipe out" Israel