Alien Warships Fearing IRGC Power in Strait of Hormuz
(FNA)- A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps underlined the IRGC's superior power in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and stressed that naval forces of the alien countries in the region are fearful of the IRGC's power.
"Since the IRGC has been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz and assumed the full responsibility for (security) in the Persian Gulf waters, the (US) warships and vessels which were passing through the strait have changed their route towards the Southern coasts of the Persian Gulf after they pass through the strait in a way that every military vessel that intends to enter the Persian Gulf keeps close to the Southern coasts of the Persian Gulf and enters the region," Lieutenant Commander of the IRGC Navy Alireza Tangsiri stated.
"That signifies Iran's might and power," Tangsiri added.
As regards Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, the commander said that Iran will not block the waterway as long as it uses the strait.
Earlier this month, Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi announced that the country has drawn a plan for closing the world oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz, but meantime stressed that Iranian forces will not shut the waterway before they receive the needed permission from the Supreme Leader.
"We have a plan for closing the Strait of Hormuz, but executing the plan needs the permission of the Supreme Leader," Firouzabadi told reporters on the sidelines of an annual gathering of the IRGC commanders in Tehran on Sunday.
"The Armed Forces have their own plans for every subject, but the decision to close the Strait of Hormuz lie on the Commander-in-Chief (Ayatollah Khamenei), who also receives consultations from the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)," he added.
The general dismissed the western states' claims that Iran is not able to block the Strait of Hormuz, and said, "They allege that we are bluffing in a bid to appease themselves."
"Of course, we don't want to block the Strait of Hormuz, but we have a plan for closing it, which is a clever and wise one," Firouzabadi said.
Iran has threatened to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the oil-rich Persian Gulf if its nuclear program is targeted by air strikes that Israel and the United States reserve as an option.
An estimated 40 percent of the world's oil supply passes through the waterway.