Leader's Top Military Aide Describes Lebanon, Syria as Iran's Strategic Defense Depth

TEHRAN (FNA)- Top Military Aide to the Iranian Supreme Leader Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said Lebanon and Syria are Iran's strategic defense depth.

General Rahim Safavi made the remarks on Saturday addressing a ceremony marking the martyrdom anniversary of IRGC Commander Brigadier General Hossein Hamadani, who was killed in Northern Syria in October 2015.

"The depth of strategic defense of Iran is Syria and Lebanon," General Rahim Safavi said.

He meantime pointed to the martyrdom of General Hamadani, an said, "(IRGC Quds Force Commander) General Qassem Soleimani informed (Iraqi Prime Minister) Haider al-Abadi that Iraq cannot fight against the ISIL with classic army and therefore (the Iraqi volunteer forces) Hashd al-Shaabi was established in Iraq and in Syria the popular forces were organized by Martyr Hamadani."

The Supreme Leader's top military aide, meantime, pointed to the US role in the war against Muslim nation in the Middle East, and said, "During (US President Barack) Obama's presidency, the US sold $100 billion of weapons to Saudi Arabia; weapons which are being used for killing Muslims."

General Rahim Safavi said that General Hamadani had realized that the Middle East wars are proxy wars, and said, "This war was waged to destroy the Islamic civilization in the region in order to change the conditions in favor of the Zionists by destroying the infrastructures of Muslim countries."

The IRGC in a statement in October 2015 announced that its war veteran commander had been killed in Northern Syria, while providing military counseling services to the Syrian forces in their fight against the Takfiri terrorists.

Brigadier General Hamadani was martyred during clashes with the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the outskirts of the city of Aleppo while fulfilling his duty as a military advisor, said the statement.

General Hamadani was in Syria to render military advice to the Syrian army and popular forces in their fight against the ISIL terrorists in the Arab country.

After his martyrdom, Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said the incident would make Tehran more resolute to put an end the war of militancy in Syria.

"The martyrdom of Brigadier General Hamadani reinvigorates our determination to continue his path and take a harsh and strong revenge from the terrorists and their supporters," Brigadier General Pourdastan said in his message.