Rear Admiral Azmaei: “U.S. Fleet Rendered Ineffective and Lacks the Courage to Enter the Strait of Hormuz”
Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, addressed the balance of power in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz during his first televised interview on Tuesday evening, stating: “Today, with divine assistance and the devotion of IRGC Navy combatants, we stand firmly against malevolent adversaries. The U.S. military has been reduced to fuel smugglers, and their fleet has been rendered ineffective; due to extreme vulnerability, they never dare approach the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Emphasizing a fundamental evolution in naval warfare doctrine, he added: “We have succeeded in transforming our tactical vulnerabilities into comprehensive strategic strengths. If the Americans want to know whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, let them step into the theater of operations to realize who holds true sovereignty over this waterway.”
700-Kilometer Retreat of Washington’s $13-Billion Aircraft Carriers
Highlighting the disarray among extra-regional forces, the IRGC Navy Commander noted: “Today, the U.S. military, with its seven fleets, has been degraded to the operational level of fuel smugglers. America’s $13-billion warships have been rendered entirely ineffective, remaining stationed at a distance of 700 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz because they lack the operational capability and courage to confront us or approach the mouth of the strait.”
Rear Admiral Azmaei issued an unequivocal warning regarding any hostile military adventurism:
“We are waiting for American warships to approach the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz to sink them; minute by minute, day by day, we are waiting for this to happen.”
Breaking the Western Media Blackout and Punitive Measures Against Violating Vessels
Disclosing information suppression by Western governments, he stated: “We publicized only one or two instances of punitive measures executed against violating vessels. The American side and their regional partners have imposed a heavy media blackout to prevent global public opinion from learning about the penalization of non-compliant ships; the disclosure of these two operations was executed precisely to break this spiral of silence.”
Addressing the Iranian public, Rear Admiral Azmaei noted: “Our noble people present in the arena must know that the combat personnel of the IRGC Navy are also deployed in full force and will show zero leniency toward any party violating or disrupting maritime order.”
Defensive Division of Responsibilities: IRGC Dominance in the Persian Gulf and Army Overreach in the Sea of Oman
Detailing operational coordination across the armed forces, the IRGC Navy Commander said: “The Strait of Hormuz and the expanse of the Persian Gulf fall under the operational jurisdiction and authority of the IRGC Navy, while the Sea of Oman is directed and controlled by our combatant brothers in the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Consequently, the enemy containment line has been pushed much further back, established at the gateway to the Arabian Sea.”
Clarifying the maritime monitoring regime, he added: “The IRGC Navy monitors and governs the Strait of Hormuz using fully automated smart systems. Transit authorization through waterways under Islamic Republic sovereignty is issued exclusively to vessels navigating to or from Iran in accordance with statutory regulatory procedures.”
Indigenous Regional Security Without Foreign Intervention / Peak Combat Readiness
Stressing the imperative of collective regional security architectures, Rear Admiral Azmaei said: “Together with our neighboring states, we possess the comprehensive capability to establish economic, political, and military stability across the region without the need for foreign presence. The Americans seek solely to plunder and dismantle the wealth and national interests of regional nations; the U.S. military today has plunged to the depths of humiliation, abasement, and operational paralysis.”
Concluding his remarks on operational posture, the IRGC Navy Commander affirmed: “Our operational theater readiness and materiel strength today are exponentially more formidable than during earlier critical defensive periods, and the devoted forces of Islam stand at peak operational readiness to defend the borders and strategic assets of the nation.”