Response of IRGC Commander to US Naval Official's Proposal: Leave the Persian Gulf

Ali Fadavi, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, rejected a proposal from a senior US naval official regarding the necessity for an agreement between the two countries on common rules and principles at sea, emphasizing that "Americans must respectfully end their presence in the Persian Gulf to avoid any problems." Admiral Fadavi, in an interview with the Tasnim news agency, mentioned that the suggestion to establish a direct communication line between US forces and the IRGC Navy in the Persian Gulf dates back three to four years, stating, "This [establishing a direct communication line] is not approved by the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran under any circumstances, and there is no resolution regarding this matter." Two days prior, Admiral John Richardson, commander of US naval operations, suggested in a speech that to "avoid miscalculations" and "reduce the risk of confrontation," the military forces of both Iran and the US present in the Persian Gulf should agree on common rules and principles and a type of communication line. Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing US officials, that there have been "more than 30 close encounters" between Iranian and American forces this year alone, which is more than double the close encounters from the previous year. In response to these reports, Admiral Ali Fadavi labeled all of them as "false." He referred to a report stating that IRGC vessels had approached US vessels in the northern Persian Gulf to within 90 meters, calling it incorrect and asserting, "Our vessels and the Americans were actually over two thousand meters apart in that incident." The Pentagon had previously reported that seven IRGC fast boats harassed a US warship in the Persian Gulf, forcing the ship to change course to avoid a collision. Admiral Fadavi stated that "Americans have increased insecurity in the region over the past 28 years, not security," referencing statistics from the eight-year Iran-Iraq war and maritime confrontations in the Persian Gulf. He mentioned that during that eight years, 580 ships were hit, with 51% in the first six and a half years and 49% in the last one and a half years, the latter period being when the Americans claim to have been present for greater security in the Persian Gulf. According to this senior IRGC commander, "The arrival of the US in the Persian Gulf in the years 1987 and 1988 increased insecurity in the region ninefold." On Tuesday, Ali Fadavi also reacted to the proposal for direct communication between Iranian and American military forces during a ceremony unveiling an "IRGC helicopter-carrying fast boat." Previously, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, had responded to US criticisms regarding the potential for increased tensions due to IRGC boats approaching US warships, stating, "The behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran in international waters is within the framework of international regulations."