The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Naval Force has said that the United States is not able to counter the sea mine capability of the IRGC, MNA reported.
"In the IRGC Naval Force, we possess complete mastery of mines... and we have no doubt that the United States is not able to do anything in the field of minesweeping," Brigadier General Mahmoud Fahimi told the Persian service of the Fars News Agency on Wednesday in reference to the recent deployment of U.S. minesweepers to the Persian Gulf with the aim of preventing a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian naval forces.
He also said, "The Americans talk a lot, but they are faced with problems in practice."
"Look how weak they are that they want to use unmanned minesweepers. If they had been capable enough, they would have certainly used manned systems because this job (minesweeping) is not possible using unmanned systems," he added.
The Pentagon also announced on Tuesday that the U.S. will conduct an anti-mining naval exercise in the Middle East in September amid concerns that Iran may block key oil transport routes with underwater mines.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Fahimi said that the IRGC Naval Force has enough number of mine experts, the technical know-how, and the required equipment to design and manufacture various types of mines.