A high-ranking Iranian military official says the Islamic Republic is the main power providing security in the Persian Gulf and ensuring the safe passage of energy supplies through the strategic body of water, Press TV reported.
"Iran, as the major power in the Persian Gulf, guarantees energy exports from the region," Brigadier General Yahya Rahim-Safavi, a senior military adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said on Tuesday.
Iran is the most geostrategically important country in Southwest Asia, he noted.
Rahim-Safavi also stated that Iran plays a prominent and influential role in the political, cultural, economic, and security equations of Southwest Asia.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy recently conducted military drills in southern Iran as part of their tactical training for modern warfare.
The exercises, overseen by the commander of the IRGC Navy, Rear Admiral Reza Torabi, were held in the waters of the Persian Gulf near the port city of Bandar Abbas.
The exercises were conducted to boost the combat readiness of IRGC forces, familiarize them with the latest military achievements, increase their response time, ensure well-timed responses to natural and manmade disasters, and provide an opportunity for IRGC forces to become acquainted with new weapons.