TEHRAN - Yadollah Javani, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps for political affairs, has said that the United States’ presence in the region is coming to an end.
“It seems that the time of the United States’ presence is coming to an end. Holding [military] exercises cannot stabilize their presence in the region,” he told Tasnim news agency in an interview published on Monday.
He noted, “The United States is familiar with the origin of Iran’s power. So, exercises cannot affect determination of the Islamic Republic.”
According to a Defense Department press release of May 23, the U.S. conducted military training exercises with live ammunition in the Persian Gulf between May 19 and 21.
‘Continuation of U.S. regional presence to be harmful to itself’
Javani also said that continuation of the U.S. presence in the region will be harmful to itself because the people in the regional countries detest Washington’s policies.
He said that pullout of U.S. forces in the region helps regional security, because Washington benefits from the regional instability.
The IRGC official noted that security must be maintained by the countries in the region.
President Hassan Rouhani said on April 29 that the U.S. must know that the waterway in the West Asia region is the Persian Gulf and not the New York or Washington Gulf.
“They must understand the situation by the name of the place and the people who have protected it for thousands of years and stop hatching plots against the Iranian people,” Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting.
He said, “The United States has witnessed the Iranian people’s success in all areas and also in protecting the Persian Gulf waterway. Our soldiers in armed forces, the Guards [the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps], Basij, Army and police forces have always protected and will protect the Persian Gulf.”
Rouhani made the remarks after U.S. President Donald Trump said in a tweet on April 22 that he had ordered the U.S. Navy to destroy Iranian boats “if they harass” U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf.
“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” Trump said in a tweet on April 22.
The IRGC rejected U.S. description of the Iranian boats’ behavior in the Persian Gulf, saying such a depiction is like “Hollywood scenarios”.
Rouhani also described the Persian Gulf as a very “important” and “sensitive” region.
“The Persian Gulf belongs to the Iranian nation and has always been and will be the Persian Gulf,” the president noted.
IRGC Navy chief Alireza Tangsiri said on April 27 that the United States is an “uninvited guest” in the Persian Gulf.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on April 20 that foreign forces’ presence in the region is the source of insecurity, instability, and tension.
“We consider presence of foreign forces, especially forces of the United States, in the region a source of tension, instability, and insecurity. Their presence is illegal and illegitimate. This is our region and our armed forces must be able to patrol without hurdle,” Mousavi said in a press conference held through video conference.
He said, “It has been for thousands of years that Iran is in this region and the regional security must be provided by the regional countries, especially Oman which is in the Strait of Hormuz region.”
The spokesman urged foreign forces to leave the region and not make Iran give them warning.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter page on April 23 that “US forces have no business 7,000 miles away from home, provoking our sailors off our OWN Persian Gulf shores.”
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