Iranian army chief Major General Mohammad Salimi Monday called on the armed forces to get prepared to confront any probable foreign threats, the official IRNA news agency said.

　　Speaking to a group of army cadets and their trainers, Salimi said "the armed forces, especially students of higher military science courses, must be ready to confront any probable threats andattacks of aliens."

　　He stressed Iran had not been safe from global and regional crisis so far and its northern, western and eastern neighbors have been attacked.

　　"We are being threatened and this leaves no other alternative than for our armed forces to get totally prepared and remain vigilant," Salimi said.

　　He asked Iranian commanders to "make scientific and tactical exploitation from the prevailing situation in the region and maintain their optimal preparedness by examining military issues ofthe warring countries and identifying their weak and strong points."

　　Iran is among the staunchest opponents of the ongoing US-led waron Iraq and has taken a position of "active neutrality", saying it will not back one side or the other in the warfare.

　　But some of Iranian officials have occasionally warned of the USplans to look beyond Iraq after doing its job against the regime of Saddam Hussein.