|
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday (local time) sharply rejected claims made by a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander asserting that Iran holds total control over maritime traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Terming the Iranian assertion false, CENTCOM stated on social media platform X that Iran exercises no operational authority or naval dominance over the critical energy transit corridor. "CLAIM: A senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said today that Iran has full control over the Strait of Hormuz through Irans 'navy.' This is FALSE," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X. Rebutting Tehran's assertions regarding its maritime strength and territorial dominance, the US military declared that Iranian naval capabilities had been neutralised by American forces. "FACT: Iran has no navy because American forces sank it. And Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz as evidenced by the thousands of ships that have passed through freely along with more than 1 billion barrels of oil just over the past few months," CENTCOM added. https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2104538873527197889 The forceful response from Washington follows statements by Iranian Army Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator Habibollah Sayyari, who stated that naval forces operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps maintain total control over the Persian Gulf and the strategic waterway, Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Iranian state media. Sayyari asserted that the army's naval components oversee the eastern entrance heading toward the Indian Ocean, issuing a stern warning that forces would bar any maritime traffic from passing through. Earlier in the day, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei on Monday stressed the widespread "armed readiness" across the Islamic Republic and said Iranians remained united in preserving the strategically important waterway. In a message issued on the occasion of Iran's "Sacred Defense Week" and the anniversary of the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, Khamenei said Iran's armed forces and different sections of society were prepared to confront the country's adversaries. "Presently, throughout Islamic Iranadorned by the presence of diverse ethnicitiesvarious declarations of readiness, particularly armed readiness, exist to construct an arena that will bring renown to them and disgrace to their enemy," Khamenei said. He also highlighted what he described as the Iranian forces' role in defending the Strait of Hormuz, saying enemy forces had suffered "painful blows" from Iranian fighters and guardians of the waterway. "The two southern seas of Iran were the roaming grounds of enemy forces. Today, however, due to the painful blows they have received from the brave warriors and guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they do not advance past the Arabian Sea. Whenever they have braved this danger, they have brought harm upon themselvesand soon, the Arabian Sea too will be cleared of them," he said. Khamenei further said that different sections of Iranian society, despite their apparent differences, were standing together to preserve what he called their "rightful positions", including the Strait of Hormuz. "There were days when the enemy constantly tried to weaken the social backbone of the system, but nowadays, various strata of society, despite their apparent differences, stand firm on maintaining their rightful positions, including the preservation of the blessed Strait of Hormuz," he said. His remarks come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme, after US President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal linked to reopening the key waterway. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, serving as the main transit route for a significant portion of global petroleum supplies. (ANI)
|
