TEHRAN -- Iran’s Navy says its Fateh (Conqueror) submarine has issued a stern warning to a nuclear-powered U.S. submarine in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing it to surface.
Navy chief Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said the naval forces detected the guided-missile submarine, Florida, as it entered the strategic region.
“The U.S. submarine was approaching the Strait of Hormuz while submerged, but the domestically-manufactured Iranian submarine, Fateh, detected it and carried out... maneuvers to force it to surface,” Irani explained.
The U.S. submarine had approached Iran’s territorial waters, he said, adding it changed course and was escorted out after being given necessary warnings.
The Navy chief said the U.S. must explain why it had violated regulations in an important international waterway.
“The recent warning by Iran’s Navy to the U.S. is that it must abide by all international regulations from now on,” Irani said.
On Sunday, Iran dismissed hostile remarks by the U.S. secretary of state against its military program, saying the country’s defense power is merely intended for deterrence and defense purposes and is not against any country.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press release on Thursday that the U.S. was “firmly committed to disrupting Iran’s military procurement activities,” adding that Washington was designating entities from Iran and China for what he called involvement in destabilizing behavior.
In a statement on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani repudiated the “provocative comments,” saying they were made with the sole purpose of marketing U.S.-built weapons through “the failed project of Iranophobia and creating divisions among regional countries.”
“In contrast to the ill-advised remarks by the U.S. regime’s secretary of state, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always placed emphasis on regional dialogue, collaboration and cooperation in order to ensure the security and common interests of regional countries without foreign interference,” he said
Kanaani said the “positive and progressive developments” in the West Asia region attest to Iran’s constructive policies, citing the recent rapprochement between the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia.
“Iran’s military program has solely defensive and deterrent aspects, and is not against any country that would not consider aggression against the country.”
Kanaani said the U.S.’s imprudent and wrong measures have been the root cause of regional instabilities and wars for decades.
The spokesman advised the U.S. administration to stop its “erroneous, meddlesome and irresponsible positions on the domestic issues of regional countries, and let the process of growing stability and calm take its course through cooperation and engagement of regional countries.”