Commander of Iran's Navy: The U.S. Does Not Need to Escort Its Ships

Following Iran's seizure of a ship in the Persian Gulf and the presence of U.S. vessels with its flag in the region, the commander of the Iranian Navy stated that the U.S. does not need to escort its ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. According to ISNA news agency, Habibollah Sayyari emphasized on Sunday, April 13, that with the presence of the Navy of the Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, security in this region is 'completely established.' Sayyari also mentioned that 'the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb do not have sufficient security, so the Americans must escort their ships in this area.' Following Iran's action in seizing a ship flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. announced that it is willing to protect not only its flagged vessels but also those of other countries in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S. naval fleet on Thursday, April 10, accompanied four American-flagged ships intending to pass through this strait. The Iranian Navy seized a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, April 8, citing financial complaints as the reason. However, U.S. officials stated that a week prior, the IRGC Navy had approached a commercial ship flying the American flag in the Persian Gulf and created 'disturbance' for it. In his remarks on Sunday, the commander of the Iranian Navy referred to the 'theory of returning to the sea and naval power' as one of the 'measures' of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and added that 'Navy soldiers will not accept any foreign warnings to realize that.' According to Mehr news agency, Sayyari pointed out that the Iranian Navy is stationed in an area more than 1.3 times the land of the country, stating, 'Today, any country that advances in terms of seas is ahead in defense.' He added, 'If the naval forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are not present in the Gulf of Aden, pirates will paralyze the economy.' The commander of the Iranian Navy has repeatedly emphasized the continuation of this force's presence in the Gulf of Aden in recent days. Meanwhile, international media reported that nine Iranian warships suspected of carrying weapons for Houthi rebels in Yemen returned to Iran after the U.S. naval fleet led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt was present in the waters around Yemen. Following these reports, Sayyari reiterated the continued presence of Iranian ships in the Gulf of Aden, stating that on the morning of Thursday, April 10, the 34th naval group of the Army was patrolling at the entrance of Bab el-Mandeb. Iran is accused of military support for the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen, to the extent that Barack Obama, the President of the United States, stated on April 1 that 'the U.S. has warned Iran in a direct message to refrain from sending weapons to Yemen that could threaten maritime security in the region.' The commander of the Iranian Navy cited the presence of this force in the Gulf of Aden as 'preserving the economic interests of the Islamic Republic' in combating piracy.