Khameini: If the Americans are ready to be buried at the bottom of the waters of the Persian Gulf — so be it.

Iran: We welcome war with the United States.

Robert Spencer: In PJ Media today I explain how Iran is itching for war against the United States, while our leaders are steeped in denial and complacency (at best):

John Kerry said Monday that “the world is safer today” because of the Iran nuclear deal. Details of how loud and long the mullahs laughed have not been released.

In reality, the world is more threatened than ever by an aggressive and assertive Iran, confident and swaggering after besting Kerry at the negotiating table.

As the International Atomic Energy Agency certified Iran’s compliance with the stipulations of the nuclear deal and the U.S. and EU ended sanctions against the Islamic Republic, the head of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, was not in a conciliatory mood. After Iran seized two U.S. Navy boats and briefly held ten American sailors hostage, Firouzabadi declared:

This incident in the Persian Gulf, which probably will not be the American forces’ last mistake in the region, should be a lesson to troublemakers in the U.S. Congress.

And Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), crowed:

American sailors started crying after arrest, but the kindness of our Guard made them feel calm.

He added:

Since the end of the Second World War, no country has been able to arrest American military personnel.

There was more. Said IRGC commander Ahmad Dolabi:

I saw the weakness, cowardice, and fear of American soldiers myself. Despite having all of the weapons and equipment, they surrendered themselves with the first action of the guardians of Islam.American forces receive the best training and have the most advanced weapons in the world, but they did not have the power to confront the Guard due to weakness of faith and belief.

They did not have the power to confront the Guard. One might almost get the impression that Dalabi thought of the incident as a battle in a larger war.

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Source: Robert Spencer in PJ Media: Iran: ‘We Welcome War with the United States’