Iran Officials Criticize Kerry

IRGC Commander Major General Ali Jafari dismissed what he called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's threat of military action against Tehran over its nuclear program, Iranian media reported.

Kerry had said that the military option was still on the table if Iran did not live up to its nuclear commitments under Geneva’s Joint Plan of Action it signed with the six world powers in November. Kerry made the comments in response to a question at WEF in Davos that what happens if Iran did not implement its commitments under the Geneva deal.

Gen. Jafari called the threat “ridiculous.” He asked Kerry to stop repeating “bankrupt strategies such as the use of military power.” Jafari added that such comments help the cause of the "revolutionary Islam."

“Mr. Kerry must know that direct battle with the US is the biggest dream of pious and revolutionary people across the world. Your threats offer our revolutionary people the best opportunity,” Gen. Jafari said. (IRNA, 25 January)

IRGC deputy commander was more blunt and repeated Iran’s own old threat.

“The interests of the United States in the region will be completely destroyed in case of any military attack against Iran,” said IRGC Brig. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri. (Press TV, 25 January)

On Sunday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said Kerry’s comments were in violation of international laws.

“These remarks are undiplomatic and have been made under the pressure of the opposition to Iran's recent nuclear deal with the world powers,” Afkham said. (IRNA, 26 January)

Kerry also elaborated on some of the outlines of a permanent deal with Iran.

“Iran must accept extensive verification, abandon plans to build a heavy-water reactor that can produce plutonium, and resolve longstanding concerns by the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Kerry said. (AP, 25 January)

File photo: IRCG Commander Ali Jafari in a press conference in Tehran in September 2012. (IRNA)