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TEHRAN \u2013 Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, issued a stark warning to adversaries on Saturday, pledging a \u201cdecisive and crushing answer\u201d to any threats against Iran\u2019s territorial integrity.<\/p>\n
Speaking at an exhibition of the IRGC Navy\u2019s achievements in Hormozgan Province, located along the southern coast of the country, Tangsiri underscored Tehran\u2019s growing self-reliance in defense and its unwavering sovereignty over the Persian Gulf islands.<\/p>\n
He lauded Iran\u2019s shift from foreign dependency to domestic military innovation, declaring, \u201cToday, we have reached a level of power where no enemy can challenge our maritime borders.\u201d<\/p>\n
He credited the nation\u2019s youth and specialists for driving advancements in naval technology, framing their work as a bulwark against foreign aggression.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeaning on our brave youth, we will not allow enemies the slightest aggression against our maritime borders,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n
The admiral contrasted Iran\u2019s current autonomy with past reliance on external allies, stating, \u201cWe once needed outsiders to counter enemies, but now we independently meet all defense needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
This shift, he argued, reflects broader national resilience forged through decades of sanctions and geopolitical pressure.<\/p>\n
The navy chief highlighted Hormozgan Province\u2019s exhibition as proof of Tehran\u2019s \u201ctechnological self-sufficiency,\u201d which has reduced reliance on foreign arms. Regular exercises, he added, demonstrate readiness to secure shipping lanes and repel aggression.<\/p>\n
The IRGC Navy has recently prioritized indigenous development, expanding its fleet with fast-attack boats, advanced missile systems, and drone swarms tailored for asymmetric warfare.<\/p>\n
Indisputable reality: Persian Gulf is Iranian territory<\/strong><\/p>\n Central to Tangsiri\u2019s address was Iran\u2019s sovereignty over the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, Abu Musa, and 17 other islands in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n \u201cThese islands have always been part of Iran\u2019s territory and will remain Iranian as long as Iran stands,\u201d he asserted, dismissing competing claims as \u201cillegitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n The islands, he noted, dominate the Strait of Hormuz\u2014a chokepoint for 30% of global seaborne oil trade\u2014and serve as \u201cIran\u2019s point of dominance over the Persian Gulf\u2019s entrance and exit routes.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n Tangsiri linked the islands\u2019 security to Iran\u2019s historical identity, stating, \u201cNo power can erase our millennia-old identity. The Persian Gulf is Iranian, and we are its guardians.\u201d<\/p>\n He paid tribute to martyrs who defended the nation\u2019s territories during the 1980\u201388 Iran-Iraq War, emphasizing, \u201cOur martyrs cemented Iran\u2019s identity on these lands.\u201d<\/p>\n The commander also described Iran\u2019s naval posture as essential to protecting energy reserves, citing oil fields like Nowruz, Soroush, and Forouzan.<\/p>\n \u201cEven during the 1980s war, when enemies attacked these fields, production never ceased,\u201d he said, referencing Iraqi strikes during the war. \u201cDefending these God-given resources is our sacred duty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the Persian Gulf, we do not have international waters\u2014these are part of our continental shelf,\u201d he said, urging Iranian leaders to intensify exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves.<\/p>\n \u201cThroughout history, Iranians have strived to remove colonizers from this area.\u201d He singled out Qeshm, Hengam, and Larak Islands as critical to controlling the Strait of Hormuz, adding, \u201cPreserving the strait is possible only through these islands.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as Iran stands, we will defend our land and waters with unwavering resolve,\u201d Tangsiri concluded.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n