The commander also noted that after Iran shot down a US spy drone over the Persian Gulf in July, the IRGC Aerospace Force was on high alert in a way that Iranian missiles were zeroed in on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, and an American warship in the Sea of Oman.

“We would have hit those targets if the US had shown a reaction,” he said.

“We have been constantly preparing ourselves for a full-fledged war,” General Hajizade added.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in June shot down an intruding American spy drone over the country’s southern coastal province of Hormozgan.

The intruding drone was shot by Iran’s homegrown air defense missile system “Khordad-3rd”.

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The top diplomat’s visit comes as the first of his three-nation tour, as he will depart Finland for Norway and Sweden afterwards to “discuss ways to ease tensions in the West Asia region.”

Upon arrival in Helsinki, Zarif referred to an initiative for dialogue in the Persian Gulf set forth in the past by Finland, saying it is almost similar to the plan Iran has earlier raised.

“A few years ago I came here, Helsinki, and raised the initiative of a regional dialogue forum in the Persian Gulf, and the Finnish have always been interested in these issues,” he noted.

Zarif raised the idea of a Regional Dialogue Forum for the first time in an op-ed article in The New York Times on April 20, 2015, where he argued that “the establishment of a collective forum for dialogue in the Persian Gulf region, to facilitate engagement, is long overdue.”

He has repeated the calls for the formation of the forum in an attempt to restore peace and stability to the region.

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Referring to the importance of cooperation between regional countries, Zarif said it is necessary for the regional states to boost their cooperation in the face of the challenges in order to tackle them in the best way possible.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif referred to the “friendly and brotherly ties” between Iran and Kuwait and called for developing the relations.

Nawaf Al-Ahmad, for his part, underlined the necessity of preserving the regional interests, expressing Kuwait’s readiness for establishing cooperation and negotiations since it will benefit the security and stability of the region.

Zarif arrived in Kuwait on Saturday to hold talks with his counterpart and other senior authorities of the Persian Gulf country.

Earlier, Zarif discussed regional issues with members of Iran-Kuwait Friendship group following his arrival in the Persian Gulf country.

A wide range of topics, including the longstanding and close relations between Iran and Kuwait, the necessity of boosting cooperation among the Persian Gulf countries, regional issues such as those relating to Palestine, as well as the US economic terrorism against the Iranian nation were discussed at the meeting.

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“Tehran supports Afghanistan’s national sovereignty and unity and is always ready to help establish lasting security and peace in the country,” Rouhani highlighted.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the presence of foreign forces in any regional countries creates problems and we are certain that the military presence of the US in Afghanistan is not beneficial to the security in the country and its people,” he said, Iranian President’s Office reported.

Rouhani added, “the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been alongside the people of Afghanistan and we have given service to the dear people of Afghanistan like our own people.”

Tehran is ready to strengthen sustainable peace and security in Afghanistan, he said, adding, “Sustainable security will encourage Afghan immigrants to go back to their homeland and enhance trade relations and investment in both countries.”

Stressing the need for unity among different ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan, Rouhani said that “Shia and Sunni, and different religious groups must feel that they are members of a big family named Afghanistan.”

Condemning the recent terrorist acts in Afghanistan, Rouhani said, “any terrorist act by any group is condemned by Iran and Tehran is determined to further deepen its friendly relations with the Afghan nation and government.”

At the same meeting, the new Ambassador of Afghanistan to Tehran Abdulghafour Lival presented his letter of credence to Rouhani and said, “the number of Afghan immigrants in Iran is higher than some other countries’ population, and the Afghan government and nation appreciate the great Iranian nation’s hospitality.”

Afghanistan is ready to develop cooperation and relations with Iran, he said, adding, “Afghanistan will not let any country to use its soil to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

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First, I recommend that he never use the words “win” and “winning” to describe any war. US history is filled with bitter experiences of war and losing. There is no need to remind the president of the United States the result of US wars in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and even its engagement in Yemen. None of these horrifying experiences—nor any other war for that matter—has ever achieved its goals.

As a veteran and a peace activist, I would like to suggest to the president of the United States that the first step in any combat is understanding the adversary. As an Iranian war veteran, I strongly suggest he study the culture and history of an old civilization like Iran’s. Iranians, those he labels as a “terrorist nation,” are proud and pleased at having not initiated a war in the past 250 years. We proudly have never invaded, intruded, and oppressed any other nations, either in our neighborhood or even in response to our revilers and foes.

Nonetheless, there is a delicacy in the sophisticated culture of Iran that separates the ancient nation of Iran from President Trump and his hawkish “B-Team.” That is the view we each have toward war. War, for us, is not an option. We never choose to go to war, we only respond to war.

In 1915, during World War I, Rais Ali Delvary, a young man from a tiny village near the Persian Gulf, defended Iran—along with his small group of men—from British invaders. They stopped the intruders, who ignored Iran’s neutrality during the war. Rais Ali’s slogan at the time has remained with the nation to this very day: “We are in this war not to win over invaders’ capital and assets; we are in this war to save our capital and assets from loss.” Rais Ali and his people won that war, as his successors did again almost a century later and will do yet again if they must.

Mr. President, Iran has never initiated any war. Iran has never seized others’ resources, belongings, means, lives, and existence to gain wealth and benefit for itself. Iran has and will only defend its belongings, resources, life, and identity. Iran has done that vigorously throughout its four thousand years of history and will do it again if forced. Rais Ali and his team did it in 1915. People in my generation did it in 1980-88. When the whole world stood behind Saddam Hussein throughout that eight-year war, Iranians stood firmly and defended their home.

While the world watched, Saddam dropped bombs and used chemical weapons against Iranian innocents. In the end, he proved unable to seize and hold a single inch of Iranian territory. Iranians became one body and stood and defended their home and their families.

The nation still mourns the far too many precious lives that were lost during that war. But, to this day and despite their differences, Iranians are proud of the eight years spent defending their homeland.

Mr. President, this is how Iranians define winning and losing a war. In our lexicon, the one who starts a war is the only loser. The one who plans to steal the happiness, the lives, and the well-being of others is the one who suffers true loss.

War is not our business, but negotiation and diplomacy are. War is not our purpose. Peace is our mission. Peace is our philosophy in life, and you are right: diplomacy is our art.

Iran has proved its mastery in the art of diplomacy.

Diplomacy, forbearance, and contentment are inclinations that cannot be achieved with billions of dollars in weapons. Your allies in the region, Mohammad bin Salman and Benjamin Netanyahu, can both attest to that. Despite the tens of billions of dollars they have devoted to their military budgets, they feel insecure and besieged by real or imagined threats. Their devotion to military power, often at the expense of diplomacy, carries serious risks. Like relying on checkers moves in a chess match.

Just be aware, Mr. President, that your friends, the B-Team, as we call them, are pushing you into the same dilemma which they have faced over the past several decades. Now they have persuaded you to censure and sanction Iran’s master-diplomat and his colleagues in order to undermine their effectiveness. But even so hobbled, Iran can still move its knights and bishops and other pieces around the global chessboard. Your friends must still learn that the game of diplomacy is far more like chess than checkers.

Habib Ahmadzadeh served in the Iranian military during the Iran-Iraq war, where he was wounded four times, including twice by chemical bombs dropped by Iraqi planes. He is the author of multiple books, including a book of short stories, A City Under Siege, and the novel, Chess with the Doomsday Machine. He is also a documentary filmmaker and a screenwriter. Dr. Ahmadzadeh is on the board of the Tehran Peace Museum and academic board of the University of Arts.

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Larijani said that Iran has always tried to preserve Afghanistan’s integrity, independence and security, adding “today, the strategic policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is that any move towards peace in Afghanistan must be organized with the Afghan government at the center.”

The Iranian parliament speaker criticized the US administration’s negotiations on Afghanistan in the absence of Afghan government, stressing that the Afghan government has to be present in any peace negotiation.

He noted that the Americans are not trustworthy in negotiations, something that could be seen in talks with Iran to reach the Iran nuclear deal.

Larijani further congratulated successful holding parliamentary elections in Afghanistan recently, further wishing a good upcoming presidential election in the neighboring country.

Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, for his part, said in the joint press conference that the Islamic Republic of Iran has played a positive role in reducing the problems of Afghanistan, expressing his appreciation to Iran’s Leader for his insistence on peace in the neighboring country as a necessity.

The chairman of the Afghan Senate House further expressed his gratitude for the Islamic Republic’s support for the Afghan government, stressing that the two countries will continue their bilateral relations.

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During the meeting, both sides highlighted the importance of increasing coordinated efforts between Afghanistan and its neighboring countries to counter terrorism and contribute to the process of national reconciliation in Afghanistan.

They also stressed the need for contacts and communication between the region’s influential countries and the Afghan opposition groups in coordination with the government of Afghanistan.

The two officials also discussed plans to strengthen the Afghan military forces for establishing sustainable security in all parts of Afghanistan.

In another meeting held in Ufa on Tuesday, the six neighboring countries of Afghanistan agreed to hold their second meeting on Afghan security in Tehran once again later this year.

The top security officials of Iran, Russia, China, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan stressed the continuation of joint efforts in support of peace and security in Afghanistan.

They also called for the implementation of the agreements reached in the first edition of their meeting in Tehran last year.

Shamkhani, who was heading Iranian delegation in the meeting, called on the neighboring countries of Afghanistan to increase their contacts with the opposition Afghan groups in coordination with the legitimate Afghan government in order to limit the intervention of other countries from beyond the region in this country’s crisis.

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China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang lauded the constructive role of the Islamic Republic of Iran to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan.

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