Tehran, June 23 (RHC)-- Iran’s enemies do not even think about war with the Islamic Republic since they have realized the country’s rising defense power, says the chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

“Our enemies now steer clear of the idea of waging war against us,” Major General Hossein Salami said in an address to a gathering of civil and military officials in the capital Tehran on Sunday.

“The reason why enemies do not consider military action as an option in dealing with Iran is not that we have attained a certain political standing, but it is because of our preparedness [to defend the country], [remarkable] growth in defensive power, and credibility of this power,” the top general added.

Pointing to the influence of the Islamic Revolution in many Muslim and even non-Muslim countries, Salami said enemies are not at ease in these circumstances.  They, the commander said, seek to sow the seeds of belligerence in various aspects of social life in Iran and those countries inspired by the Islamic Revolution.

The IRGC commander pointed to the recent developments in Western countries and said: “It might not be possible to find a direct link between the incidents in the West and the Islamic Revolution” but the Revolution has seen its influence spread across the globe, even affecting the American society.

“Setting fire to U.S. flag is a way of showing the very spirit of fighting injustice and crime, which is today seen in the United States.  These events are inspired by the spirit of jihad against the US, which has spread across the globe,” Salami pointed out.

The U.S. has witnessed mass rallies against police violence and racial discrimination following the death of a handcuffed unarmed African-American man in Minneapolis on May 25.

George Floyd died after a U.S. police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes despite his cries that he could not breathe.  His death, captured on video, sparked street protests across the United States.  The police response has been increasingly heavy-handed.

People in certain European countries have also taken to the streets in solidarity with the rallies and torn down statues and monuments glorifying slavery and colonialism.

In a post on its official Twitter account on Saturday, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the longstanding habit of "looting and coercion" in the United States has made the American leaders refrain from recognizing the right of freedom for others.

It added that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has made "horrible reactions to peaceful protests" across the country, pointing out that the reactions remind the world of "the very scandalous history."