Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri made the remarks on Wednesday as he addressed the opening ceremony of an international conference in Tehran, called “Geometry of the New World Order".
“It seems that with the United States insisting on continuing the war, even at the cost of the destruction of Ukraine’s entire infrastructure, on the one hand, and Russia's insistence on creating a buffer zone between its western borders and NATO forces on the other hand, this war will not end easily,” he said.
With trade and energy routes to Western Europe disrupted and extensive sanctions imposed against Moscow, Major General Baqeri said Russia is now effectively turning its focus towards the East and the South to seek new trade partners and allies.
This shift in focus, according to the general, has significant geopolitical implications and marks a fundamental change in Russia's global stance. It is also likely to have economic repercussions for the world, as Russia seeks to establish new trade routes and partnerships to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions, he added.
Major General Baqeri said Russia’s resolve to deter NATO’s eastward expansion left it with no choice but to launch the military operation in Ukraine.
“A war that appears to be with Ukraine, but in reality, is a broader confrontation with the advancing forces of the United States and its allies,” he said in the speech.
The economic, political and technological rise of China, which will soon place it as the main global economic power ahead of the United States, is another important sign of the ongoing fundamental shift in the world order and power geometry, Iran’s military chief said.
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