A top Iranian military commander says seizure of two US navy boats should be a lesson for members of US Congress, who seek to impose new sanctions on Tehran.
“We hope the incident in north of the Persian Gulf, which will not be probably the American forces' last mistake in the region, will be a lesson to those seeking to sabotage [Iran’s nuclear agreement] at US Congress," Iranian Armed Forces' Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said on Wednesday.
The commander added that those lawmakers at US Congress who are constantly creating new problems for Iran seem to be in the dark, adding that they are acting against the interests of the American people by “blindly” ignoring the facts on the ground.
Firouzabadi added that the incident once again proved the US forces’ “vulnerability” and showed that the Iranian Armed Forces are constantly vigilant in the face of US moves in the region.
Earlier on Wednesday, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, said two US Navy crafts carrying 10 Marines had reached three miles into the waters surrounding the Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf, adding that the IRGC forces took into custody the crewmembers of the vessels following the act of trespassing.
Fadavi noted that the trespassing occurred because of technical problems with the navigation systems of the US vessels.
Recounting the process of impounding the two US vessels and taking the US Marines into custody, Fadavi added that following the impounding of the American vessels, “the US Navy and [a nearby] aircraft carrier resorted to unprofessional behavior as well as aerial and seaborne provocations in the area, which were deflected through the IRGC’s timely action.”
“The IRGC Navy has full control over the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” the senior IRGC commander emphasized.