According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) news service 'Sepahnews', Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri made the remarks while addressing a gathering of Basiji volunteer forces on Qeshm, Hormuz, Hengam and Lark islands, adding “a Navy Basij has been formed which is in charge of 2,200 km coastal region of Hormozgan and Operational Zone 1 of IRGC Navy.”
Navy Basij, which is the extension of the Basij forces, is formed to protect the rights of the fishermen, to strengthen sustainable and people-centered security and to defend and protect the coast against foreigners, according to Tangsiri.
The IRGC Navy commander added that his forces will spare no efforts to defend the livelihood of Iranian fishermen, noting that no foreign ships are allowed to fish in Iranian territorial waters.
He further noted that the Islamic Establishment owes too much to the people in the southern regions, who have remained loyal to the Establishment despite difficulties due to the foreign sanctions.
There have been cases of illegal fishing in southern waters by foreign trawling ships. On December 2, 2018, it was announced that two Chinese fishing ships that were illegally searching for fish in Chabahar waters on the Oman Sea had been seized and their crew were awaiting trial.
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