Salami: We Will Be Very Dangerous If America Threatens Us

The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has warned about closing the Strait of Hormuz "in the event of a threat from America and its regional partners," stating, "We will be very dangerous for the Americans if they threaten us." On May 3, Hossein Salami said in a television program in Iran: "We warn America and its regional partners that if they want to use the Strait of Hormuz and threaten us, we will invoke the principle of innocent passage under the Convention on the Law of the Sea and will not allow the passage of any ship or vessel that intends to threaten us." Salami did not specify the nature of these "threats." According to the laws of maritime zones in the Islamic Republic, "innocent passage" refers to the passage of foreign vessels, except for warships, submarines, or vessels with nuclear fuel, provided they do not engage in activities such as intelligence gathering, exercises, maneuvers, or similar actions. Salami emphasized in another part of his remarks: "We are truly very dangerous for the Americans if they intend to threaten us, and we declare this." This is not the first time a senior military official in Iran has threatened to use the Strait of Hormuz to confront other countries in the world or regional countries. In previous instances, the United States has reacted to these threats, stating that it would not allow such actions. The U.S. Fifth Fleet is stationed in Bahrain, which, according to Washington, will respond to such potential actions if necessary. Additionally, according to a report by the New York Times in 2011, the U.S. government sent a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei warning about the consequences of closing the Strait of Hormuz. Estimates suggest that closing the Strait of Hormuz would temporarily halt the flow of oil exports from the Persian Gulf to the markets. At least 40 percent of the world's oil supply relies on tankers passing through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's revenue is also significantly dependent on the sale of energy resources. The deputy commander of the IRGC accused the U.S. of "unprofessional" and "provocative" behavior, stating that the country has "brought instability to the entire region." Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen are among the examples Salami mentioned in his remarks. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war for five years. Iran is one of the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad, the head of the central government in that country, which is one of the main parties in the bloody Syrian war. In Yemen, Iran supports the Houthi rebels who overthrew the government of that country. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia has also carried out extensive attacks against the rebels. Libya has been in chaos since a coalition led by France and Britain helped overthrow its former dictator Muammar Gaddafi. In Iraq, both the United States and Iran have supported the government led by Haider al-Abadi and have assisted their allies in battles against the "Islamic State." The deputy commander of the IRGC believes that the U.S. has a "much lesser perception" of the "power" of Iran's military forces. He stated, "Americans should learn from the detention of the sailors last year." His reference is to the detention of a group of U.S. Navy sailors near Farsi Island, which occurred last January. A report from the U.S. military indicates that their vessel experienced a technical malfunction and the sailors accidentally entered Iranian waters. Washington criticized the detention of the sailors, deeming it contrary to the norms governing the waters of the world. The sailors were released shortly after their detention. In another part of his television interview, the deputy commander of the IRGC emphasized that Iran will "decisively" continue its missile program. Iran's ballistic missile program is targeted by Washington's sanctions; this, along with sanctions related to accusations of "supporting terrorism" or human rights violations, has caused many of Iran's financial transactions with foreign countries to face difficulties stemming from banks' major concerns about transferring money. Tehran claims that its missile program has defensive objectives. Iran denies accusations of supporting terrorism.