THROUGH HIS ARBITRARY ACTIONS, HELEZ HAS CAUSED ENORMOUS DAMAGE TO THE DEFENSE SYSTEM

SARAJEVO, JUNE 7 /SRNA/ - Deputy Minister of Defense in the Council of Ministers, Aleksandar Goganović, told SRNA that Minister Zukan Helez, through his arbitrary actions, has caused enormous damage to the defense system, as they are now facing a potential situation in which the United States might suspend all planned activities, including the donation of helicopters.

The U.S. administration has announced the possibility of imposing sanctions on Minister of Defense Zukan Helez and penalizing BiH by suspending all military cooperation programs if the announcements from Helez’s recent meeting with Iran’s non-resident military attaché, Brigadier Mahmud Mohaghegh Pour, are realized.

Goganović emphasized that he has been warning since the very beginning of his term about Helez’s harmful actions, unlawful conduct, and the deterioration of relations within the defense system as well as with international partners.

“We are facing a potential situation in which the United States could suspend all planned activities with the Ministry of Defense, including the donation of helicopters,” Goganović said.

He added that the moves distancing BiH from the United States represent Helez’s personal positions, not the official stance of the Ministry of Defense in the Council of Ministers, as such a position was neither approved by the deputies nor discussed at the Ministry’s Collegium.

“The U.S. remains a key international partner in the defense system, in line with our strategic documents and the assessments of the relevant sectors,” Goganović said.

The U.S. administration has made it explicitly clear that any form of cooperation with Iran or any form of support for Iranian military structures will be treated as a serious threat. Such actions would not only jeopardize BiH’s security but also international relations and could result in sanctions, including the loss of all privileges BiH currently enjoys in its cooperation with the United States.

According to Večernji List /BiH edition/, the U.S. has issued a final warning, saying that they had access to a letter detailing threats linked to Iranian terrorist and other activities that severely undermine security in the Middle East.