IRGC chief: No extra-regional power has the right to threaten or interfere in the Strait of Hormuz
Tehran - BORNA - The full text of the message by Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi on the occasion of IRGC Navy Day follows:
"In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
To the valiant commander and all the brave and history-making seafarers of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,
Peace be upon you.
The day is 'IRGC Navy Day' and the anniversary of the martyrdom of martyr Nader Mahdavi and his comrades in battle against the aggressive and criminal United States in the eternal Persian Gulf; a day that, in the strategic memory of the Iranian nation, recalls the profound and meaningful bond between the blood of the martyrs and the power of the seafarers of the mighty, popular and revolutionary IRGC.
The IRGC Navy must truly be called a force of epics and a nest of legends; a force that, during the eight years of the Sacred Defense [the 1980s Iran-Iraq war], in a legendary battle, broke the equations of the arrogant American naval power through faith, initiative and courage, and with small fishing boats — but great wills! — stood against the aircraft carriers and aggressive fleet of the United States, and was born by prevailing over the Great Satan in this great arena.
After achieving glory in this enduring battle, which involved the destruction of enemy vessels, and after the eight-year imposed war and the acquisition of components of naval power commensurate with the threats ahead, this force wrote the epic of capturing aggressive American and British marines. And now, in the midst of the third American-Zionist imposed war, it has completed its calendar of honors with courage and martyrdom by closing, managing and controlling the Strait of Hormuz and forcing the aggressor fleet to retreat from the Persian Gulf.
The IRGC's strategic navy began its glorious life with the brilliance of legends such as Nader Mahdavi and Eshagh Dara, and with the valor of lionhearted men such as the proud commanders Maj. Gen. martyr Alireza Tangsiri and Maj. Gen. Behnam Rezaei, it has now gained worldwide renown. With the same tested spirit, it is the guardian of the world's most strategic energy artery and the protector of the maritime red lines of Islamic Iran.
We remind that our strategy in this arena is clear, principled and unchangeable: the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is homegrown and regional security, and no extra-regional power has the right to threaten it, maintain a domineering presence there or interfere in it. The Strait of Hormuz is the vital artery of the world's energy and a strategic red line for Islamic Iran, and safeguarding it means safeguarding national interests, the security of the nation and the dignity of Iran.
The mighty IRGC Navy, in full coordination and synergy with the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with a variety of precision-guided missiles, remarkable attack drones, fearsome fast boats, electronic warfare and a sharp-eyed coastal defense network, stands ready to deliver a decisive and crushing response to any miscalculation by the deluded enemy regarding unauthorized passage of vessels through the waters under its management in the region.
It is stressed that any threat from the American-Zionist camp will be answered with the vigilance, unity of command and all-round readiness of this force.
O brave and history-making seafarers: relying on God, on domestic capabilities and on the support of the mobilized people, and with faith in God's promise of victory, under the command of the Supreme Leader and Commander-in-Chief, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, be ready at all times and in every arena to defend beloved Iran and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Happy Navy Day.
Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi
Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps"
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