Senior Iranian Official Abbas Golroo: We Have Exchanged Secret Messages With The Americans; Despite Our Policy Of 'Strategic Silence,' We Are Ready To Confront The Americans

Iranian MP Abbas Golroo, the Chairman of the Iranian Majles' Committee on Foreign Relations, said in a December 23, 2020 interview with the Shehab News Agency (Hamas) that Iran is prepared to retaliate against any attack anywhere in the region, and that it is prepared to confront the United States. He said that Iran has adopted a policy of "strategic silence" in order to make it clear that the people of the region want peace, but that this silence must not be misinterpreted. He also said that the Arab countries that have recently normalized relations with Israel fear Iranian retaliation. Gorloo Is a former diplomat who served in the Iranian delegation in the U.N. as well as Deputy Ambassador in Syria. The interview was uploaded to Shehab News Agency's Facebook page.

Abbas Golroo: "The scenarios for our retaliation are on the table. Today, we are present in the Persian Gulf, in the Red Sea, and in the Mediterranean Sea and we do not fear the American military presence in the region. It is our enemies in the region who should be afraid.

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"The IRGC and the Iranian army are ready to retaliate against any American military action. This would not be in America's best interest. I believe that America does not dare to attack Iran. An attack on Iran would come with a steep price for America and its allies in the region.

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"We are ready for a confrontation with the American enemy. It is true that in recent years, there have been several attacks on Iranian outposts, assassinations, and other criminal acts by the United States and Israel. We have adopted a policy of strategic silence. If the Day of Judgement and Zero Hour arrive, our response will be of strategic proportions. By employing strategic silence, we want to tell the American enemy that we do not want a war in the region. The people of the region want peace. However, the enemies must not misinterpret Iran's strategic silence.

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"Our message to the American enemy is clear. They have sent several secret messages to us, and we have sent messages [back]. Sadly, some governments in the region that hasten to normalize their relations with Israel have sent [us] letters of love and friendship." I don't understand this. This means that they fear Iranian retaliation."