IRGC: 'Ban on Passage' for American Warships and Training Members of the 'Resistance Axis'

A watchtower is a type of tall structure that is mostly used for military purposes. The aim of erecting it is to create a relatively secure space for the observer to monitor their surroundings and assist in the protection and preservation of the designated area by reporting their observations. In the 'watchtower', we will now review selected military and security news and events from Iran and other regional and extra-regional countries, including the planning and execution of military exercises, statements by military officials, advancements and innovations in military equipment production, new arms transactions and technologies, and the expansion of forces. Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, in response to recent comments by Hillary Clinton, a potential Democratic presidential candidate in the United States, regarding the consideration and credibility of military options against Iran, stated, 'The nation and armed forces of the Islamic Republic are ready to confront the U.S. decisively to save humanity from the evil of this country's warlike and hegemonic policies in a real and direct battle.' Jazayeri further accused the U.S. of supporting 'ISIS and Takfiri terrorists' in relation to the Syrian crisis and stated, 'The so-called American coalition against ISIS has so far only created a protective umbrella for the transit of weapons, ammunition, and mercenary terrorists to continue the war against the Syrian nation and government.' Meanwhile, the U.S. hopes to liberate Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIS, with air support, weaponry, and advisory support for the 'Democratic Forces of Syria' on the Raqqa front, and similarly pursues a goal in Fallujah, Iraq, with its air support for military and paramilitary units (Hashd al-Shaabi). Some Hashd al-Shaabi groups are affiliated with the Islamic Republic, and in addition to the presence of IRGC members on the Fallujah front, some senior IRGC officers are also involved in managing and leading offensive operations against ISIS. The U.S. and coalition countries have bombed ISIS positions 12,802 times in the past 669 days (as of June 7). Of these bombings, 8,718 attacks occurred in Iraq and 4,084 in Syria, with U.S. air units responsible for 68% and 91% of the attacks in Iraq and Syria, respectively. IRGC and the Claim of Passage Ban for American Warships: Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, commander of the IRGC Navy, recently stated that the IRGC will form rapid reaction brigades, one of which will be the 'Special Naval Unit of the IRGC' (the IRGC Navy Commandos). According to Ali Fadavi, one of the tasks of the special naval unit is to train various forces both inside and outside the country, which also includes members of the 'Resistance Axis'. The 'Resistance Axis' refers to those Shia groups from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran who are currently engaged in fighting in Syria and Iraq. He further emphasized the control of American warships' movements in the Persian Gulf, stating, 'For years, we have not allowed U.S. military vessels and their allies to pass through certain waterways... For many years, U.S. military vessels and their allies have been unable to use designated waterways that are marked on the map.' The claim of prohibiting and restricting American warships and their Western allies, as Fadavi states, is baseless and merely an exaggeration. The ships and vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz use predetermined and fixed entry and exit routes that are clearly outlined on nautical charts. These routes, which are established to separate maritime traffic in most narrow waterways, are in line with the regulations of the 'International Maritime Organization'. After passing through the Strait of Hormuz, there are two other designated routes in Iranian waters. One is the entry route to the Persian Gulf, which passes north of the Tunbs and north of Farour Island, and the other is the exit route that passes south of the Tunbs and south of Farour. Ships and vessels that are not heading to Iranian ports rarely use these routes. However, American warships or their allies, whose destinations are the naval base in Bahrain or other ports in Arab countries, change their course southwest after passing through the Strait of Hormuz and move towards their desired port by passing south of Abu Musa Island and south of Siri Island. In other words, these warships neither need to enter Iranian coastal waters nor are they forced to use the aforementioned routes in Iranian waters. It is evident that under such circumstances, creating restrictions and not allowing American or other Western countries' warships is not at all relevant. Foreign oil tankers and the transportation of Iranian oil: According to Reuters, more than 20 supertankers from Europe and Asia carrying Iranian oil allow the country to increase its exports faster than analysts had expected. Until April of this year, Iran faced difficulties in finding partners for transporting its oil, but the signing of temporary insurance agreements has now allowed it to transport more than one-third of its crude oil exports using foreign-chartered tankers. Nevertheless, some international shipowners still refuse to transport Iranian oil due to certain restrictions imposed by the U.S. Based on loading port statistics and shipping data, at least 21 foreign tankers with a capacity of nearly 25 million barrels have loaded or are in the process of loading Iranian crude oil or fuel oil at the Kharg Island and Mahshahr terminals over the past two weeks. Russian exercises in the Caspian Sea: According to the media outlet 'Port News', Russia has begun a new exercise in the northern Caspian Sea. In this exercise, the patrol ship or corvette 'Volgadonsk' and several other vessels from the Russian fleet in this sea will practice various military tactics, including firing at ground, sea, and air targets, along with search and rescue operations and protection of maritime facilities. Russia, which has more than 200 vessels in the Caspian Sea, conducted a major exercise last year with the participation of over 50 ships and corvettes. This country also fired 26 cruise missiles from four ships stationed in the Caspian Sea in support of the Syrian army for the first time on October 7, 2015, which passed over Iranian territory. The legal regime of this sea and its maritime borders has not yet been determined, and thus military exploitation of this sea, despite the positive atmosphere prevailing at the last summit of the Caspian Sea littoral states in Astrakhan in October 2014, could pose an obstacle to establishing the legal regime of this sea. Deployment of the aircraft carrier Eisenhower to the Persian Gulf: According to the U.S. website 'New Times', the aircraft carrier Eisenhower and its accompanying strike group were dispatched on June 1 (June 12) for a seven-month mission to the U.S. Fifth Fleet (the naval branch of Central Command or CENTCOM). The primary mission of the Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its accompanying units will be to assist ongoing operations against ISIS. The Eisenhower will replace the aircraft carrier Harry Truman, whose seven-month mission was extended to eight months due to the increasing need for air support within the framework of 'Operation Inherent Resolve', the name of the operation that the U.S. is conducting as part of the anti-ISIS coalition, which has intensified in light of the operations to liberate Fallujah in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria. The addition of the French-made 'Mistral' ship to the Egyptian Navy: Last week, on June 3, Egypt received its first amphibious assault ship or helicopter carrier of the 'Mistral' type from France, named Gamal Abdel Nasser, with another ship of the same type expected to join the Egyptian Navy in three months. Last year, France sold these two ships to Egypt for $1 billion after canceling the contract to sell them to Russia due to Russia's role in the Ukraine crisis and the annexation of Crimea, as well as pressure from NATO member countries. According to Sedqi Sobhi, Egypt's Minister of Defense, these ships will 'enhance Egypt's combat capability and efficiency for long missions at sea... and equip it with advanced capabilities to combat terrorism on land and at sea.' The Mistral-class ship, with a displacement of 16,500 tons and a length of 199 meters, can carry 16 helicopters, 70 tanks, 4 amphibious boats, and at least 450 commandos, and is equipped with a 69-bed hospital. Mine-clearing robot and unmanned submarine: The company 'SAAB', in collaboration with the 'Technical Support Office for Counter-Terrorism' affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, has succeeded in developing a remote-controlled robot for mine-clearing at sea. This robot, named 'Sea Bee', weighs 90 kg and is 170 cm long, equipped with an electric arm, sonar, radar for gathering information from the surrounding environment, cameras, and lights. The 'Sea Bee' can dive to a depth of 60 meters and is controlled by a fiber-optic tentacle. The 'Sea Bee' is capable of operating in difficult conditions such as shallow or muddy waters or in waters with strong tidal currents. Additionally, an American company in San Diego named 'Ocean Aero' has unveiled a small unmanned submarine called 'Submaran S-10'. This submarine can carry 50 kg and dive to a depth of 9 meters. This multi-purpose and hybrid submarine can move on the surface and then dive by folding its sail and making other preparations. This unmanned submarine does not require constant control and operator and can carry out its mission automatically according to the program and software embedded in it. This unmanned submarine can be used for ocean monitoring, locating fish aggregations, assisting fishermen, and military objectives.