Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said the country’s naval forces closely watch US vessels’ movements in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s (Navy) forces are monitoring all US moves in the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf,” Rear Admiral Tangsiri said in a recent interview with local media.
He said the US is looking for tensions and confrontation in the region and has always sown insecurity wherever it had a presence.
“Today, we have a powerful presence in the entire Persian Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz,” Rear Admiral Tangsiri stressed, adding that full security will be established in the Persian Gulf if US forces leave the region.
Earlier this week, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei said the Persian Gulf belongs to the nations living there, and those are the ones responsible for ensuring its security.
“The Persian Gulf belongs to the nations living there. Its security is the duty of these nations, & Iran with its long coastlines has a key role in keeping the security of this region. By God’s grace we will do our part. This is our historical, geographical & regional duty,” the Leader said in a series of tweets published Wednesday on the Twitter page of Ayatollah Khamenei on the occasion of the National Persian Gulf Day.
The Leader also said that a “wise and rational collective policy” in favor of the people of the region cannot be achieved while foreign forces are present in the Persian Gulf.
“The #PersianGulf region can be managed by a wise and rational collective policy that benefits all Persian Gulf countries. The factor that threatens such a proper, wise move is the presence of foreign forces in the region,” Imam Khamenei added.
“The #PersianGulf is our home & the place for the presence of the great #IranianNation. The shores of the Persian Gulf & much of the Gulf of Oman, belong to this nation, & it should be present there. It should demonstrate its power. We’re a powerful nation with a great history,” said another post in the Leader’s Twitter account.
Earlier in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also reminded the US to whom the waterway truly belongs.
“The Americans should know that this waterway is called ‘the Persian Gulf.’ It is not called ‘the New York Gulf’ or ‘the Washington Gulf,’” Rouhani told a cabinet session in Tehran.
Source: Iranian Agencies
