There are 50 American warships in the Persian Gulf at present as well as 15 other warships belonging to their allies, the top commander said at a cultural gathering in the central city of Yazd on Sunday, adding that the IRGC, however, does not have the merest regard for the US as a power.
He went on to say that while no country dares to look askance at the US, Iran, empowered by the Islamic Revolution, has been maintaining dominance in the Persian Gulf for years.
Back in January, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy captured 10 US Navy sailors inside Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, but released them a day later following an apology and after technical and operational investigations indicated that the intrusion into Iranian territorial waters was unintentional.
In December 2015, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underlined that security of the Persian Gulf region comes within the purview of the regional countries alone, and dismissed the US claim of seeking security in the region.
"The Persian Gulf security relates to the countries of the region which have common interests, and not to the US. So, security of the Persian Gulf region should be provided by the countries of this region itself," the Leader said.