Iranian Army commander Maj.-Gen. Ataollah Salehi said April 12 that Iran plans to have an active presence overseas.
Gen. Salehi underlined that Iran's defensive power should not be limited to within the country's borders, and added that the Iranian army was planning to have an active presence in far seas.
He stressed that since enemy troops were deployed far from their own countries, Iranian forces are "surely entitled to move beyond their borders to defend the country."
Salehi added, "The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy will regularly patrol oceans and will be dispatched to long distances."
He stressed that all the required infrastructures had been developed for training forces and transferring and using related experiences, adding, "Iranian armed forces are ready to confront any threat and will not allow enemy action or success."
Source: Fars, Iran, April 12, 2009
