US Conceded Defeat by Firing Navy Officer, Iranian General Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The US Navy’s decision to expel the commander of a squadron whose sailors were captured by the IRGC after straying into the Iranian territorial waters in January signifies that Washington has conceded defeat, a top Iranian general said.
Speaking to Tasnim, Head of the Strategic Center of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Americans sacked the commander to make up for the disgrace they faced after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) captured US sailors in the Persian Gulf.
The commander’s dismissal was a concession to defeat, he stressed.
The Iranian general went on to say that Americans suffered a psychological defeat after the IRGC’s great job.
Back in January, the IRGC Navy captured 10 US Navy sailors near Farsi island 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 was unintentional.
Meanwhile, the US Navy released a statement on May 12, saying it had lost confidence in Commander Eric Rasch, who was the executive officer of the squadron that included the 10 sailors at the time of the January incident. He was responsible for the training and readiness of the more than 400 sailors in the unit.
A navy official said Rasch failed to provide effective leadership, leading to a lack of oversight, complacency and failure to maintain standards in the unit.
