TEHRAN - IRCG Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said on Tuesday that Americans were slapped six times in the Persian Gulf during confrontations with Iranian forces in the 1980s.
“The IRGC Naval Force has carried out six successful operations in the Persian Gulf against the aggressor America, in which… the hegemony of the United States in the Persian Gulf has been broken,” Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said in a ceremony commemorating Iranian naval forces who lost their lives on 8 October 1987 in a U.S. attack during the Tanker War.
“We never started a war in the Persian Gulf, and although the Americans targeted our tankers, platforms, and oil terminals, we showed restraint. After all the damage they inflicted on us, we entered a year-and-a-half war with the Americans. We slapped them hard six times,” Tangsiri explained.
The IRGC naval force commander went on to say that Iran will not tolerate any insecurity and conflict in this strategic region because it is the home of Iran and neighboring countries.
He said the Americans have no place in the Persian Gulf, because they cause insecurity wherever they go.
The IRGC does not tolerate any insecurity or clashes in the strategic region of Persian Gulf, the IRGC Navy chief said.
“The Persian Gulf is our and our neighboring states’ home,” he noted.
“The Americans have no place in the Persian Gulf, because they have brought about insecurity wherever they have gone,” Tangsiri added.
He further denounced the Zionist regime’s criminal activities, saying, “The illegitimate presence of the fake regime that has occupied al-Quds disrupts the security of this strategic region and will inflict heavy costs on it.”
It is inappropriate for regional Muslim countries to allow the presence of the criminal Zionist regime, which has occupied the first Qiblah of Muslims, the commander stated.
He also highlighted the IRGC Navy’s military advances in the combat and tactical spheres, saying Iran fulfills all of its defense needs singlehandedly under the pressure of cruel sanctions.
In remarks in June 2016, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underlined that security of the Persian Gulf region comes within the purview of the regional countries alone, and dismissed the U.S. claim of seeking security in the region.
“The Persian Gulf security relates to the countries of the region which have common interests, and not to the US. So, security of the Persian Gulf region should be provided by the countries of this region itself,” the Leader said.
On Monday, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani underlined that his forces will strongly stand up against enemies and give a rigid response to any threat and wrong move against the country’s territorial waters.
“Thanks to the extreme power of Iran’s navy in the international arena, the enemy does not dare attack Iran’s maritime borders,” Admiral Shahram Irani said, addressing staff and personnel of Bushehr Maritime Base.