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The United States was “shocked” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) quick heliborne operation, according to a senior IRGC commander.
“The Americans, together with their agents, sought to steal [Iran’s] oil, prevent the oil’s sale, implement the sanctions project, and humiliate the Iranian people, but they were taken aback,” IRGC Deputy Commander for Political Affairs Brigadier General Yadollah Javani said.
According to Iran, recently the US carried out a “desperate attempt to seize an Iranian oil shipment in the strategic Sea of Oman.”
They were shocked, however, by the swift and adequate response by Iran’s elite military response.
Javani added that the IRGC Navy managed to “cleverly capture the oil tanker by carrying out a heliborne operation and steered the ship towards the Islamic Republic’s waters.”
The Americans then “threatened Iran and activated their military units and took an offensive position to prevent the ship from reaching the Iranian waters but their plan failed,” the IRGC commander said.
He emphasized that the failed act of piracy was “another defeat” for the US and “another honor” for the Iranian nation.
“The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic are powerful and mighty in defending the rights of the Iranian people and are fiercely determined to protect national interests,” Javani pointed out.
He further said the Iranian nation is resolute on fighting the arrogant powers and would not tolerate any act of aggression, adding, “We have the ability to respond to any threat.”
The Iranian nation has proved that it is not fearful of the enemy at all, the top IRGC commander emphasized.
The IRGC’s Navy released a video last week showing Iranian forces landing on the deck of a tanker that had seized an Iranian oil shipment in an “act of piracy”. They then navigated the vessel toward Iranian waters. The incident took place on October 25.
In a statement, the IRGC said that after the American forces had transferred the crude to the second vessel, “timely and powerful” action by the Guards’ servicemen “frustrated the operation by the terrorist US Army’s naval forces to steal the Islamic Republic of Iran’s oil in the Sea of Oman.”
US officials said the Iranian account was untrue and there had been no American attempt to seize a tanker. The officials said that in reality Iranian forces had seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker last month and two US navy ships, backed by air support, had monitored the situation, but did not try to interdict the vessel. The tanker was named as Southys, and one of the US destroyers as USS The Sullivans.
The US said they watched Iranian forces “swarming, boarding and seizing the vessel and take it to Iranian waters.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani says the Islamic Republic has “a lot to say” on the battlefield and will definitely give a crushing response to any disrespectful behavior toward the nation.
Irani made the remarks on November 7th on the sidelines of the Iranian Army’s large-scale military exercises, codenamed Zolfaqar-1400, which kicked off earlier in the day with the participation of airborne units, special forces, and rapid reaction brigades.
“We convey this message to all that whenever Iranians are spoken to with respect, [they] will certainly respond respectfully as well,” the commander said, adding that the Iranian nation will give a decisive response otherwise.
Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, the spokesman for the Zolfaqar-1400joint drills, said troops serving in the Army’s infantry and armored units, mechanized regiments, air defense units, naval units, and Air Force have taken part in the main stage of the exercise.
The senior military figure highlighted that marine and commando units of the Iranian Army and its Navy carried out airborne, heliborne, and amphibious exercises, launched surprise attacks, and stroke predetermined mock enemy targets.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Irani pointed to the mission of the Iranian Navy’s various fleets in the fight against terrorism, piracy, and escorting merchant ships and oil tankers, saying the naval forces have “fully secured the country’s economic lifeline by escorting vessels and tankers as well as merchant ships.”
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