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Security of Strait of Hormuz fully depends on Iran - Iran's Navy Commander

Iran Materials 7 August 2012 07:08 (UTC +04:00)
Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari underlined Iran's tight and full control over the regional waters, specially the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the US moves, including its future wargames with 20 other states in the region cannot undermine Iran's might and power, FNA reported.
Security of Strait of Hormuz fully depends on Iran - Iran's Navy Commander

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari underlined Iran's tight and full control over the regional waters, specially the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the US moves, including its future wargames with 20 other states in the region cannot undermine Iran's might and power, FNA reported.

"Iran is the greatest maintainer and protector of security in the Persian Gulf," Sayyari said, and dismissed the US announcement about its imminent wargames in the regional waters in the Persian Gulf as unimportant.

"Iran has seen so many similar stances of the US and Washington's decisions, moves and wargames have no impact on the Islamic Republic of Iran," he continued.

"The US imagines that it can affect Iran by announcing that it would stage a demining exercise, but this won't happen," the Admiral reiterated.

He said security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz fully depends on Tehran. "Administering (affairs in the) Strait of Hormuz and full control of the region lie in Iran's hand."

He further warned the Arab states on the Southern rims of the Persian Gulf to distance themselves from the US and more rely on their internal power, reminding that regional security can only be established through the joint cooperation of the regional states.

Senior Iranian army and IRGC commanders went to the parliament on Sunday to discuss the latest conditions, developments and security of Iran's Southern waters and the strategic Strait of Hormuz in a meeting with the members of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission.

The yesterday meeting, which will continue on Tuesday, focused on the latest developments, conditions and security in Iranian coasts in the Southeastern country as well as the Sea of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

Situated between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz is a passageway for 40% of the world's oil production, including much of the crude extracted in Saudi Arabia.

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.

In July, Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi announced that the country has drawn a plan for closing 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 at the time.

"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.


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