MajorGeneralHosseinSalami,thecommanderoftheIslamicRevolutionGuardCorps(IRGC),hasannouncedthatIraniannavalforceshaveconductedoveradozenoperationstargetingvesselslinkedtoIsrael.ThisactionwasinresponsetoattacksontankerscarryingIranianoilininternationalwaters,leadingtocallsfromtheopposingsideforanendtothemaritimeconfrontations.
MajorGeneralSalamisaidonSaturdayduringameetingbetweenPresidentMasoudPezeshkianandthecommandersoftheKhatamal-AnbiyaConstructionHeadquartersoftheIRGC,thatpriortothis,theZionistregimehadmysteriouslytargeted14IranianshipsintheRedSeaandtheMediterraneaninanattempttohaltIran’soilexports.TheCommanderoftheIRGCaddedthatfollowingBritain’sseizureofanIranianoiltankerinGibraltar,Iranalsotookcontrolofthe“StenaImpero”ship,whichledthemtosurrender,andweexchangedourships.ThesamesituationoccurredwiththeseizureoftwoIranianshipsinGreece,whereIrantookreciprocalactionandforcedthemtosurrender.
HealsoreferredtotheIRGC’sdeterrentoperationsagainstenemies,emphasizingthatwemanagedtoshootdownanadvancedAmericandrone.
DespitetheseverecrisesfollowingthemartyrdomofGeneralQassemSoleimani,theformercommanderoftheIRGCQudsForce,thedowningoftheUkrainianplaneoverTehran’sskies,theCOVID-19pandemic,andtheenemies’harshsanctions,westoodfirmagainsteffortstopoliticallyisolateIran.
MajorGeneralSalamialsopointedtothefailureofAmericanforces,backedbyawarship,intheirattempttoseizeanIranianshipintheregion,aswellastheirunsuccessfulattempttocapturetwoIranianoiltankersenroutetoVenezuela.HestatedthatthesafestshippinglinesinallseasnowbelongtoshipsflyingtheIranianflag.
TheIRGCcommanderalsoaddressedthephenomenonofTakfiriterrorism,creditingitscontainmentasoneoftheIRGC’soperationsbeyondIran’sborders.
