The commander of the navy said Iranian forces will take action to counter any attempt to undermine the security of the Persian Gulf.
“We will firmly deal with anyone who causes insecurity in the Persian Gulf… If anyone seeks excessive demands or defines illegitimate interests, it will certainly cause problems and we will not allow such a thing to happen and will take measures to ensure security,” ISNA quoted Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as saying on Monday.
He said the United States insists to be present in the Persian Gulf because “they have defined illegitimate interests for themselves”, adding that they try to involve other countries in their plans to legitimize their presence.
Sayyari expressed hope that Persian Gulf Arab states would come to the conclusion that they are able to maintain the security of the region in cooperation with the Islamic Republic.
“The Islamic Republic has frequently announced that it is not in the habit of taking acts of aggression against other countries and that it respects its neighbors,” he noted.
In addition, the admiral said Iran has shown in its military exercises that it is able to protect the security of the Persian Gulf and that there is no need for the presence of outsiders in the region, stressing such a presence is the source of insecurity.
