BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it has downed
more than 200 “enemy aircraft” since the beginning of the war.
The statement was made by IRGC Deputy Commander Major General
Mostafa Izadi.
Izadi described the conflict as a “hybrid war” and said that
Iran’s opponents had sought to destabilize the country both
internally and through military operations.
He also rejected claims that the conflict had weakened Iran’s
political system or could lead to the country’s fragmentation.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran was not only not divided, and the
Islamic system was not only not weakened, but, on the contrary, the
Islamic Republic has demonstrated that it is stronger and more
determined than before in Iran,” Izadi said.
Earlier, tensions between the United States and Iran escalated
again on July 8. On that day, US forces carried out several waves
of strikes on Iranian territory, reportedly in response to an
attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the
first such action after the memorandum signed between Washington
and Tehran. US President Donald Trump announced the termination of
the ceasefire regime with Iran on the same day.
In response, Tehran began strikes against US facilities located
in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Oman. Iran has said
that the Strait of Hormuz is currently closed.
