Iran Press/Iran News: In an exclusive interview with CNN in Tehran, Hossein Dehghan, former Iran's defence minister and military adviser to Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said: "The response for sure will be military and against US military sites."
"Let me tell you one thing: Our leadership has officially announced that we have never been seeking war and we will not be seeking war," Dehghan said.
"It was America that has started the war. Therefore, they should accept appropriate reactions to their actions. The only thing that can end this period of war is for the Americans to receive a blow that is equal to the blow they have inflicted. Afterward, they should not seek a new cycle."
Regarding the US list of 52 Iranian targets in Trump's tweet, Iran's Military advisor described the tweets as "ridiculous and absurd."
Iranian Military advisor to Leader: Trump Tweets are ridiculous and absurd
Brigadier General Dehghan went on to say: "Trump doesn't know international law. He doesn't recognize UN resolutions either. Basically he is a veritable gangster and a gambler. He is no politician and he has no mental stability."
Making reference to United National resolution 2347 which condemns the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, Dehghan said: "if Trump wants to impose rule, logic and rationality over his decision he should accept that he is a war criminal and must be tried in a relevant court."
Asked what would happen if Trump were to carry out his threat to strike any of Iran's cultural sites, Dehghan said: "for sure no American military staff, no American political center, no American military base, no American vessel will be safe, and they are all accessible to us."
This interview was conducted after the assassination of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani along with several senior members of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Friday Morning 3 January at Baghdad International airport.
Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani was awarded by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as the first Iranian military official to hold Iran’s highest military order, the Order of Zulfaqar after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. 104/219
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