AiBotTEHRAN, Iran – In a stark warning to Washington, Iran’s military has pledged to take decisive action against a growing US naval presence in the Sea of Oman, labeling the blockade a “graveyard” awaiting the arrival of American forces.
Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was not the only Iranian military leader issuing veiled threats to the US. Major General Ramezan Sharif, the Commander of the IRGC’s Ground Forces, stated that Iran would never allow its people to be besieged by foreign powers.
However it is Major General Mohammad Rezaei who has caught significant media attention. In an interview with Iranian state television, General Rezaei, the deputy commander of the IRGC, vowed that Iran will break this naval blockade. When referring to the US naval presence he said ‘…the Sea of Oman is not where America can play with its military might,’ he went further stating ‘We advise the US Army to end the blockade before the Sea of Oman becomes your graveyard.’
Iranian officials are accusing the US of attempting to disrupt its economy by targeting oil shipments through Hormuz Strait, a vital waterway that serves as the region’s gateway for global oil trade. They claim that the blockade is an attempt to pressure Tehran into negotiating on a new nuclear deal that would impose severe limits on its missile program and nuclear development.
The US move is seen by some as retaliation against Iran’s recent actions, including the recent attack on the Israel-backed gas installation in the northern province of Aqaba.