The Pentagon announced last week that it would deploy additional warships and a Marine Expeditionary Force to the Persian Gulf to “deter” Iran after a spate of tanker seizure incidents. Tehran has warned that the presence of the armies of neighboring states outside the Persian Gulf in the strategic body of water will not facilitate regional security.
The commanders of Iran’s army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have commented on the US decision to strengthen its presence in the Persian Gulf, warning that the Islamic Republic will take the necessary measures to protect itself.
Army Commander-in-Chief Abdolrahim Mousavi said “With respect to the control and capabilities of its armed forces in terms of navigation and aviation security in the Persian Gulf region, Iran reserves the right to take the necessary deterrent measures in accordance with the rules and regulations of international law and will exercise its inalienable rights”.
“The Americans have come and gone from the region for many years with their false illusions, but the security of the region will only be sustainable with cooperation between regional countries,” Mousavi emphasized.
Commander Alireza Tangsiri said “enemy vessels would be forced to stay thousands of kilometers away to avoid the missile’s crosshairs. we can launch the Abu Mahdi missile from deep within the earth. The missile has a dual seeker and works successfully against the enemy’s electronic warfare”.
Iran characterizes the Abu Mahdi as “among the best missiles of its class in the world in terms of targeting, high destructive power and penetration of geographical obstacles and enemy defense systems”, and says the missile, which has a range of over 1,000 km, will dramatically increase the country’s maritime reach .
The new missile is named after Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the late Iraqi militia commander who was killed in a January 2020 US assassination in Baghdad alongside IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, who was on a secret peacekeeping mission in the country aimed at normalizing relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
F-16 fighter jets and A-10 ground attack aircraft to patrol
Tensions in the Persian Gulf rose earlier this month after the US announced the deployment of F-16 fighter jets and A-10 ground attack aircraft to patrol the strategic body of water following a series of ship seizures by Iran for maritime traffic violations and an attempted oil spill smuggling.
Last Thursday, the Pentagon announced the deployment of two amphibious warfare ships and thousands of Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Force to the Persian Gulf on the orders of Defense Secretary Austin.
“Through these actions, the United States demonstrates its commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and deterring Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region,” the Pentagon said in a statement, using the same ‘freedom of navigation’ line it uses to justify the illegal deployment. warships, aircraft and troops thousands of miles from American shores into Chinese waters in the South China Sea.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stressed that “Iran is sensitively monitoring any illegal and non-constructive act that affects the security of the region” and “will pay special attention to any provocative and illegal actions, especially near its borders.”
Iran has one of the largest and most technologically advanced militaries in the Middle East and is equipped with an array of domestically designed and manufactured missiles, warships and air defense systems designed specifically for asymmetric warfare against a much larger and more powerful enemy. The country has repeatedly demonstrated in recent years that it will not tolerate violations of its air and maritime space, and in June 2019 shot down a $220 million US spy drone from the sky over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Persian Gulf is one of the most strategically important bodies of water in the world, with shipping oil cargoes representing approximately 20-30 percent of consumption passing through its waters daily.
