A senior commander has expressed Iran�s readiness to counter all threats with full force, stressing that the Army�s Ground Forces will severely punish aggressors.

Commander of the Iranian Army�s Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan made the remark in a meeting with foreign military attach�s in Tehran on Wednesday.

The Iranian Army�s Ground Forces, who possess modern and domestically-manufactured conventional weapons, stand ready to counter new emerging threats, firmly repel any act of aggression against the country and severely punish aggressors, Pourdastan said.

The commander, however, stressed that the country�s military might serves defensive and deterrent purposes and will be employed only when necessary.

While Tehran is against bullying powers and the aggressors violating human rights, it pursues a policy to maintain friendly relations with neighbors and boost cooperation with other countries as well, he added.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and reached self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly assured other nations, especially regional neighbors, that its military might poses no threat to other countries, stating that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Pourdastan warned against rising terrorism and extremism, describing them as a threat to the entire world.

�If today they (terrorism and extremism) are not curbed in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Nigeria and other countries, they will spread to other states from the Central Asia to Europe and the US as well,� he said.

The commander added that terrorist groups have now come to haunt their supporters, stressing all those who played a role in nurturing Takfiri terrorists in different countries have realized that these groups have gotten out of control and now pose a threat to their creators and sponsors as well as other countries.

By Press TV