Commander reiterates Iranian armed forces capability to hit Tel Aviv, Haifa

A senior Iranian military commander dismissed enemies' warmongering rhetoric against Iran as unworthy, saying that the Iranian Armed Forces are capable of razing Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground as stated by the Supreme Leader last month.Speaking to reporters on Monday, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Logistics and Industrial Research General Mohammad Hejazi pointed to the remarks made by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei about Tehran's crushing response to the US and Israel's possible hostile moves, and noted that the Leader is "well aware" of the Iranian Armed Forces' capability."We enjoy the needed level of preparedness to put this statement (razing Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground) into action in the shortest time possible if the enemy makes a foolish move," Hejazi underlined.He played down the enemies' threats that they have the military option on the table, and said such statements signify their passive stance.Addressing a large and fervent congregation of the Iranian people in the country's Northeastern holy city of Mashhad on March 21, Ayatollah Khamenei deplored Israel's war rhetoric against Iran, and warned that any hostile move by the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic would be reciprocated with a destructive response.Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the recent warmongering statements by Israeli officials and warned Tel Aviv against any wrongdoing against the Islamic Republic of Iran."Israel's leaders sometimes threaten Iran, but they know that if they do a damn thing, the Islamic Republic will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground," Ayatollah Khamenei stressed.Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear warheads.Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.Both Israel and the US have recently intensified rhetoric against Iran, saying an attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear site is impending.Iran has, in return, warned that it would target Israel and its worldwide interests in case it comes under attack by the Tel Aviv.Iran has also warned that it could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if it became the target of a military attack over its nuclear program.Strait of Hormuz, the entrance to the strategic Persian Gulf waterway, is a major oil shipping route.