Local Editor
Tehran’s provisional Friday Prayers leader highlighted the reason behind US’ recent allegations against Iran and said Washington, which is aware of the failure of its economic pressures, has resorted to lies against the Islamic Republic.
Having realized that its economic pressures on Iran have had no effect, the US resorted to lying and trying to tarnish the Islamic Republic’s image as much as it can, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani said, addressing worshippers in Tehran on Friday.
He further pointed to recent remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and said the Leader has repeatedly told those who have pinned their hopes on the West that they should abandon their hope for help from outside.
The enemy would lie a thousand times to serve its interests, the cleric added, calling for vigilance against economic and political plots hatched by the US against Iran.
The remarks came against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US after the Islamic Republic shot down an advanced US spy drone over its territorial waters and also recent attacks by Yemeni forces on Saudi oil facilities, with Washington and Riyadh claiming Iran was behind them.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on June 20 that a US spy drone that violated the Iranian territorial airspace in the early hours of the day was shot down by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s air defense unit near the Kooh-e-Mobarak region in the southern province of Hormozgan.
The intruding drone was reportedly shot by Iran’s homegrown air defense missile system “Khordad-3rd”.
Tensions between the US and Iran escalated further after Yemeni armed forces conducted a large-scale operation against Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil installations on Saturday, in response to the Saudi-led war on their country.
The Yemeni Houthi Ansarullah movement immediately took credit for the attacks, but US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo swiftly accused Iran of being behind the assault, without providing any evidence. Tehran categorically rejected the allegations.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia claimed on Wednesday that the strikes on its oil infrastructure came from the “north” and were “unquestionably” sponsored by Iran, adding that the Houthis were not responsible for the assault despite claiming it.
Shortly after the Saudi announcement, the spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, however, reiterated it was behind the weekend attack, stressing that the Houthis have new drones, powered by “normal and jet engines” that can reach targets deep in Saudi Arabia.
“Our forces have reached a high level of efficiency and ability. They can manufacture various types of unmanned aerial vehicles in record time. The Second Deterrent Balance Operation, which targeted Saudi oil installations, is a perfect example of the capabilities of our forces in terms of planning and implementation,” Brigadier General Yahya Saree said during a press conference in the capital Sana’a.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
