Tasnim � One of the main objectives the enemies of Iran are pursuing is to erode the country�s military capabilities and cripple its Armed Forces, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said.

The defense power of the Iranian Armed Forces is a main target of the hostile plots, the IRGC chief said on Sunday, addressing a service in commemoration of Mohsen Hojaji, a member of the Iranian advisory support team in Syria who was taken captive by the Daesh Takfiri group near the Iraqi border last week and beheaded two days later.

The recent attempts of the enemies have been aimed at weakening Iran�s defense power, Major General Jafari added, noting that after achievement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - a nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) - the adversaries have opted for military and missile-related sanctions against Iran to undermine the country�s armed forces.

The enemies know that the only way to hamper the Islamic Revolution�s progress is to impair Iran�s defense power, he warned.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has on various occasions emphasized the necessity for incessant progress of the Iranian Armed Forces irrespective of political developments.

In September 2016, during a visit to an exhibition of the Defense Ministry�s achievements in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran has �an inalienable and absolute right� to reinforce its defensive and offensive power.

And in May, Ayatollah Khamenei described enhancing �the Islamic Establishment�s deterrent power� as a grand policy that prevents international bullies from thinking about any assault against Iran.