Iran’s naval forces are fully prepared to confront any threat across its islands, coasts, and territorial waters, the Revolutionary Guards chief said during a visit to an IRGC naval base, warning that any move by adversaries will be met with a firm response.
“There is full preparedness so that if any move comes from the enemy, it will receive a strong response,” Major General Mohammad Pakpour said during a visit to naval units stationed on Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Siri islands in the Persian Gulf.
He said the forces demonstrated high readiness and strong morale, adding that the same spirit that enabled Iranian forces to bring “the Zionist regime (Israel) and the United States to their knees” during the 12-day war in June remains in place.
Iran has long sought to highlight its military presence around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global oil shipments, amid heightened tensions with Western powers over its nuclear program.
About a fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass through the chokepoint, which was a major flashpoint during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.
Last week, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said the country’s naval units were at an “extraordinary level of readiness” for any potential future conflict.
Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to close the strait as tensions with Israel and the United States flared in recent years.
In August, Iran staged its first major naval exercise since the June war with Israel. The two-day drill covered the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.
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