Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that the country will answer any enemy attack with a much larger response, saying it would strike 20 targets if Iran were hit at two or three locations.
Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, made the remarks on Wednesday while discussing the IRGC Navy’s reported capture of a US unmanned submarine in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Tasnim News Agency.
He said Iran’s control and management of the strategic waterway were now “realized, certain and demonstrable,” and that Tehran would use this capability to respond to any aggression.
“Any vessel that seeks to pass through the strait without taking into account Iran’s management of this waterway will definitely not be able to pass,” Mohebbi said.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea route between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important energy corridors. A large share of global oil and gas exports passes through the waterway, making any threat to shipping a source of international concern.
Mohebbi also claimed that US naval forces had withdrawn from the Persian Gulf. He said that before the US-Israeli war against Iran began, between 30 and 40 American ships and warships had been deployed in the Gulf. “Today, not even a single one of them is present in this area,” he said, adding that US warships had moved at least 400 kilometres away from the Strait of Hormuz.
The claims could not be independently verified.
The IRGC official said Iran could strike enemies at long distances with newly developed weapons and missiles. He claimed Iranian forces had struck an aircraft carrier about 500 kilometres away several days earlier, without providing details of the incident.
“We have reached a point where, if the enemy hits two or three of our targets, we will respond strongly with 20 targets,” Mohebbi said.
He added that the Islamic Republic would use its military strength to make its enemies “regret continuing their aggression.” The comments underline Tehran’s effort to project strength around the Strait of Hormuz at a time of high regional tension.
