Patriot deployment in Turkey to lead to "world war" – Iranian officialDecember 15, 2012 - 20:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The planned deployment of NATO Patriot missiles along Turkey's border with Syria could lead to a "world war" that would threaten Europe as well, Iran's military chief of staff said, according to Reuters. Turkey asked NATO for the Patriot system, designed to intercept aircraft or missiles, in November to help bolster its border security after gunfire from war-torn Syria spilled into Turkish territory. General Hassan Firouzabadi, the Iranian armed forces chief, said Tehran wanted its neighbor Turkey to feel secure but called for NATO to drop plans to deploy the Patriots. "Each one of these Patriots is a black mark on the world map, and is meant to cause a world war," Firouzabadi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency. "They are making plans for a world war, and this is very dangerous for the future of humanity and for the future of Europe itself." Iran has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad throughout the 21-month uprising against his rule. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order on Friday to send two Patriot missile batteries to Turkey along with American personnel to operate them, following similar steps by Germany and the Netherlands. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Welcome to CaseKey 2024. Byblos Bank Armenia firmly stands by future innovators Strategic business cases, invaluable experience, innovative approaches and more than 25 events are in store for the participants of CaseKey 2024. Macron honors Charles Aznavour on 100th anniversary French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to the memory of French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour. Blinken says U.S. reviewing a number of aid requests from Armenia He said the U.S. is reviewing the requests to determine what more it can do to increase its assistance to Armenia. At least 2 CSTO members participated in preparing 44-day war against Armenia – PM Nikol Pashinyan has declared that at least two CSTO member countries participated in preparations for the 44-day war against Armenia. |