In an address to a conference of IRGC commanders on Saturday, Rear Admiral Tangsiri said the IRGC Navy is projecting power in the Persian Gulf vigorously.
“Even American warships carrying airplanes and helicopters obey our rules when they cross the Persian Gulf,” he said.
He noted that the NATO forces pay heed to the IRGC Navy’s warnings in the region. “For instance, the IRGC vessels once approached a US aircraft carrier, and the warship escaped 180 miles away.”
Highlighting the IRGC Navy’s progress in the development of various combat, reconnaissance, assault and hybrid drones, the commander said his forces have perfect coast-to-sea missiles.
“We have managed to mount rocket-launchers on 8-meter speedboats,” Tangsiri noted, adding that Iran is the first country in West Asia that can fly drones from the deck of military vessels.
Earlier this month, the IRGC spokesman underlined that Iran is capable of responding in kind to any act of mischief in the region.
“Iran has reached such a high degree of power and capability that can respond in kind to any US action and in the region, including the seizure of ships,” General Ramezan Sharif said.
His remarks came after the US Naval Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US Navy has deployed more than 3,000 sailors and Marine forces to West Asia under the pretext of protecting ships and vessels crossing the main waterways in the strategic region.
The IRGC Navy commander’s comments suggest that Iran is trying to assert its dominance in the Persian Gulf. The US military, for its part, has said it will continue to operate in the Gulf region in accordance with international law.
Tehran maintains that crises in the region should be resolved through collective cooperation among regional states and underscores the potential harm of foreign presence. Iranian officials have repeatedly called for the departure of foreign naval vessels from the Persian Gulf, while also emphasizing that the country’s armed forces are fully prepared to counter any aggression against Iran.
In addition to the military dimension, the recent incidents in the Persian Gulf also have a political dimension. Iran is seeking to pressure the US to lift sanctions that have been imposed on the country in recent years. The US, for its part, is trying to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Aimen Jamil's intellectual curiosity lies at the intersection of Middle East and Pakistan Foreign Policy.
