The U.S. military said on January 11 that a new aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in the Arabian Sea but denied any link to recent tensions with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and portrayed the movements as routine.
In an interview with IRNA published on Sunday, Salami said, "U.S. warships and military forces have been present in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East region for years, and therefore, their decision to dispatch new warships is not a new issue, and this move should be interpreted as part of their permanent presence."
However, such presence has always been a source of insecurity and trouble in the region whose negative effects can be seen in Iraq and Afghanistan, the commander noted.
Iran has recently threatened that it will block the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most strategically important chokepoint which represents about 30% of the world’s seaborne oil shipments, if sanctions are imposed on its oil exports.
The Iranian Navy staged a 10-day naval war game near the Strait of Hormuz last December.
IRGC naval war games to start on schedule
Asked about the war games that the Naval Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps plans to stage in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, Salami said that the maneuvers will start on the announced date.
The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, announced on January 6 that the war games will be staged in the Iranian calendar month of Bahman which started on January 21 and ends on February 19.
EP/PA
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MNA
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