US should not ignore Iran as regional power - Defence Minister

US should not be heedless of Iran as a regional power in its political calculations, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said here before Friday sermons, IRNA reported.

He made the remarks, addressing a large congregation of worshippers in Tehran.

"Sacred defense of Iranian nation during Iraq-imposed war is an example of Islamic Republic power which proves it to be invincible."

The high-ranking official noted that Islamic resistance against occupying force of Zionist regime in Lebanon was also inspired by Iran's resistance during the imposed war.

"We learned during the hard days of sacred defense that the governing international system could not be trusted; US and its regional puppets missed their power and Washington should learn from the desperate exit of its troops from Iraq that Islamic Republic is a big power which can not be ignored."

The Islamic awakening today derives from our sacred defense, the minister added during his address before the start of the Friday Prayers sermons on Friday, the first day of the Sacred Defense Week in Iran.

September 21 is the start of the national Week of Sacred Defense in Iran which commemorates Iranians' sacrifices during the 8 years of the Iraqi imposed war on Iran in the 1980s.

Since the start of 2011, the region has witnessed a growing wave of popular protests resulted from the people's growing awareness and vigilance.

Tunisia saw the overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in a popular revolution in January, which was soon followed by a revolution which toppled Hosni Mubarak in Egypt in February.

Libya was the third country touched by the Islamic Awakening. Libyans also embraced victory after months of bloody campaign against the country's dictator, Muammar al-Qaddafi.

Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have since been the scene of protests against their totalitarian rulers, who have resorted to brutal crackdown on demonstrations to silence their critics.

In Yemen, although the people have toppled the dictator and elected a president, the revolution still continues as allies and family members of the former dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh, still hold key posts in the country and have not been brought to justice.