Iran's military power owes to martyred Leader: Army chief

Army Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari stated that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's leadership had been the driving force behind the growth, modernization, and deterrent power of Iran's armed forces. Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to an army accommodation center for mourners attending the late Leader's funeral ceremonies, Sayyari said Iran's armed forces owed their achievements to Ayatollah Khamenei's leadership. "Everything we have achieved today is thanks to the guidance of our martyred Leader, and from now on it will also be by virtue of his blood." He added, "We will carry on the legacy of our martyred Leader. That is the mission for which we live." Sayyari also noted that Iran's military capabilities have "steadily grown as our understanding of the enemy has deepened," in the wake of the recent US-Israeli aggression against the country. According to Press TV, Ayatollah Khamenei was assassinated in an attack on his office in Tehran on the opening day of the joint US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28. The aggression prompted a massive Iranian response, including attacks on US military bases and assets in the region, as well as missile strikes on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories. Iranian authorities have vowed that the assassination of the Leader will not go unanswered. The report by Mehr News Agency (MNA) added that Sayyari made these remarks during his visit.