Alwaght-A top Iranian commander has the stressed if United States poses a threat to Iran’s security in the seas, the Iranian navy will be ‘highly dangerous’ for them.
The deputy commander of The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami added that, Iranian naval forces are strong and can counter any opponent, including the US, if a conflict arises over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“We have developed a powerful Navy in the IRGC and the Armed Forces, capable of defending the country’s interests and independence,” said Brigadier General Hossein in a televised broadcast Tuesday.
He said last year's incident in which 10 US sailors were arrested after straying into Iranian territorial waters and released through diplomatic channels proved that the Americans respected the strength of the Iranian forces.
General Salami added that Iran would be in its right to defend from possible hostile actions by the US in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a significant part of the world oil trade is conducted.
Citing the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said “we have to counter any harmful and ill-intended passage through Strait of Hormuz.”
“We warn the US and its allies against any threatening passage through Hormuz, for if it ever happens, we will have no other choice but act according to the 1982 Convention,” he said.
He specifically warned against any opposition to Iranian military drills, which it conducts on regular basis.
“This is our lawful right,” he said. “We will not allow any power or country to make decisions in regard to our defense measures and deterrent exercises.”
The General criticized the measures of the US that have caused the displacement of many nations, adding “they always fabricate a threat against those countries to justify their presence in regions such as the Persian Gulf where they define vital interests for themselves.”
“Yet this is our will and sea power that has allowed the Persian Gulf to be a secure strategic region for all the world to enjoy,” he highlighted.
Salami further added that Iran’s reaction to threats will be to continue developing its missile program and maritime self-defense force.
His comments followed earlier remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who stressed Iran’s presence in the Persian Gulf.
“The Persian Gulf coast and much of the coasts of the Sea of Oman belong to this powerful [Iranian] nation, therefore we have to be present in this region, [stage] maneuvers and show off our power,” the Leader said on Monday addressing a group of teachers.
Ayatollah Khamenei also rebuffed the US government’s demands that Iran should not hold military drills in the Persian Gulf.
