Iran's Revolutionary Guard Commander Says ThAAD's Anti-Defense System Doesn't Guarantee Israel's Security

IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami. (Wikimedia Commons/Mehr News Agency/Mahmoud Rahimi)

JAKARTA - Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami warned that the anti-missile defense system sent by the United States could not keep Israel safe.

Major General Salami delivered the statement while attending a massive funeral for General Abbas Nilforoushan, who was martyred in Beirut as a result of an Israeli attack, in Isfahan on Thursday.

"Don't believe THAAD, you can't do the massacre but stay safe. We know your weakness," said Major General Salami, launching Mehr October 17.

The United States announced it would send an anti-missile defense system at the High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Terminal. It was announced after an attack of about 180 Iranian missiles on October 1, overwhelmed Israel's Iron Dome and Arrow defense systems.

The United States announced last Sunday that it would send the THAAD system to Israel with troops to operate it in its latest military aid round to the Israeli regime. Deliveries were also made amid Israel's plans to counterattack, with Iran issuing warnings not to make that decision.

"If you attack one of our targets, both in the region and in Iran, we will attack you again with pain," Major General Salami explained.

"We do not hesitate to attack Israel," he added.

He considered previous missile attacks against the Zionist regime only a warning and started with the smallest force.

As previously reported, the United States Department of Defense on Tuesday said components for advanced anti-missile systems began arriving in Israel on Monday and will be fully operational in the near future.

"In the coming days, additional US military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive at Israel," Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said.

"The battery will be able to fully operate in the near future, but for operational safety reasons, we will not discuss the schedule," he said.

THAAD typically requires about 100 troops to operate, and has six launchers installed in trucks, with eight interceptors at each launcher, as well as a powerful radar. The system is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles at a distance of 100 to 125 miles.

In response, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was not worried about THAAD's delivery, saying it was part of a psychological war.

"THAAD is not an anti-ballistic cyst. It's not something new and has existed before," he said.