Iran's IRGC guards paint Israel flag on shoe soles out of spite

Iran's IRGC cadets put their hostility for Israel on display, by painting the flag of the Jewish state on the soles of their boots. The incident was recorded during the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) graduation ceremony, which found the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in attendance on the morning of October 13, an Iranian news media reported. 

Khamenei told that IRGC that they must have 'advanced' and 'modern' weapons that are developed in Iran, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East with Saudi Arabia and the United States.  The Supreme Leader of Iran said, "The Guards should have advanced and modern weapons. Your weapons should be modern and updated. It should be developed at home. You need to develop and produce your weapons."

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"With violent, aggressive and hostile behavior, the Americans have increased the greatness of the IRGC. The enemies of God show hostility to God’s servants, and this hostility makes God’s servants more reputable and estimable," Khamenei added. 

According to an Iran news media organisation, Deputy head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had said on January 28 this year that Tehran's strategy would wipe Israel off the "global political map." He said, "Our strategy is to erase Israel from the global political map. And it seems that considering the evil that Israel is doing, it is bringing itself closer to that."

"We announce that if Israel does anything to start a new war, it will obviously be the war that will end with its elimination, and the occupied territories will be returned. The Israelis will not have even a cemetery in Palestine to bury their own corpses," the IRGC deputy head added.  

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Iran tensions 

Pentagon on October 11 announced that the country will deploy more troops in Saudi Arabia, following Riyadh's request for reinforcements after the attack on their energy installment, Aramco. Tensions aggravated as Iran reportedly claimed that two missiles have attacked an Iranian oil tanker off the Jeddah coast.

Pentagon said, "Saudi Arabia is a longstanding security partner in the Middle East and has asked for additional support to supplement their own defense and defend the international rules-based order." Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on October 12 that Tehran is ready to hold talks with Riyadh with or without mediation by any other country. This statement comes a day before Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to the two countries in a bid to de-escalate tensions. 

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