U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis. (Photo : Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis again condemned Iran, but this time as "the single biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world," in his first official comment about a country's he's been waging a personal war against for over a decade.
Mattis said Iran's "misconduct and misbehavior" have to be dealt with.
"We have a responsibility with the rest of the nations to be absolutely clear with Iran in this regard. It does no good to ignore it. It does no good to dismiss it," said Mattis in Tokyo.
Mattis is in Tokyo as part of an official visit to Japan and South Korea, America's staunchest allies in Asia.
Mattis, however, said the escalating feud with Iran doesn't need an increase in the number of U.S. military forces in the Middle East.
"We always have the capability to do so, but at this time I don't think it's necessary," he said.
Mattis' rousing remarks made Feb. 4 came a day after the Trump administration imposed new sanctions against Iranian government institutions and Iranian individuals in retaliation for Iran's failed test of an intermediate range ballistic missile in mid-January.
Iran revealed the test only after Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 27 temporarily banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority nations -- including Iran -- from entering the United States.
The U.S. and Israel both claim the test violated United Nations Resolution 2231 that forbids conducting from conducting tests such as these. Iran, however, claimed the test was legitimate since the IRBM it tested wasn't designed to carry nuclear warheads.
Eshaq Jahangiri, Iran's first vice president, dismissed Mattis' remarks as "useless claims," saying Iran is a key player in the fight against ISIS.
"The Iranian government and nation do not care in the least for the worn-out and threadbare remarks made by the American officials," said Jahangiri.
Mattis' anti-Iranian viewpoint has been evident since his service with the U.S. Marines. As a Marine Corps four star General, Mattis was once Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) responsible for the Middle East.
His current worldview has been shaped by his experience in the Middle East as CENTCOM commander. He is steadfastly anti-Iran.
Mattis once said the three gravest threats facing the U.S. are "Iran, Iran, Iran." And after Iran, there's Russia and China.
He also called on the United States, especially the Congress, "to adapt to changing circumstances, to come out now from our reactive crouch and take a firm, strategic stance in defense of our values."
