Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces made the comments in a ceremony attended by a group of Army Navy commanders and technical experts on Monday.
Gen. Bagheri said that "In recent months, we have witnessed the growth and enhancement of the position of the strategic navy (army navy)."
He hailed the role that the Iranian navy plays in securing the Strait of Hormuz, the Oman Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and other places in the world.
According to the top Iranian general, the enemies try to compensate for the reduction of their forces in the Middle East region in various ways and by creating new units in the form of stray unmanned vessels which endanger the safe passage in international waters.
"We believe that the right to maritime safety and free navigation in high seas and international waters should be preserved for everyone", he said, adding that Iran both diplomatically and militarily will deal with the threats to its maritime activities.
"We fully defend this right of our nation, therefore we report to and file a complaint to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) diplomatically. Our vessels will not tolerate such units on their way and will deal with them as happened recently."
Gen. Bagheri criticized certain regional countries for putting the region in danger by normalizing relations with the Zionist Israeli regime, and added that the Zionist regime's joining the US CENTCOM "can create threats for us."
He further stressed that "We declare that we will not tolerate such espionage activities and threats, and will not make any compromises on the rights of the Iranian nation and the security of our seas and lands."
KI/AY/5581799
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