No US vessels in Persian Gulf, Hormuz, or Northern Indian Ocean: IRGC adviser

TEHERAN: A senior IRGC adviser says that for the first time, no US vessels are present in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, or even the northern Indian Ocean, The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, head of the advisory group to the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said in a televised interview that the Strait of Hormuz has been firmly under Iran's control in recent months.

He noted that the Americans have maintained a presence in the Persian Gulf since 1853, but that for the first time, no US vessels are present in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, or the northern Indian Ocean.

"The Americans have fled and moved more than a thousand kilometres away from our borders," Fadavi said.

"This did not happen by their own choice, but is the result of the authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IRGC Navy."

He said the Americans claim they can move a maximum of three to four million barrels of oil per day through the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, outside the area Iran has officially designated, a figure he described as insignificant compared with the volume of oil that normally passes through the strait.

He said that previously, more than 20 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily through official channels, with additional volumes exported informally.

The IRGC official said 46 percent of global oil exports passed through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the 20 percent figure often cited refers to global oil consumption, since many countries consume their own production rather than exporting it.

He said oil exports through the route are now facing major disruption, which has had a broad impact on the global economy, including the United States and Europe.

He warned that any further escalation in the region would harm the United States, saying American warships are directly threatened by IRGC naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz.

The adviser said the United States would be forced to rely on its vessels to escalate tensions. "Even if they bomb a region every day, they cannot impose their demands as long as they lack a physical presence."

Fadavi added that US vessels are "exposed and vulnerable" to the IRGC Navy. According to him, US forces have repeatedly attempted to bring their warships into the Strait of Hormuz but were attacked by the IRGC Navy and Aerospace Force.

"Any escalation of tensions will definitely be to their own detriment," Fadavi said. — BERNAMA