Iran issued new threats against the United States on Sunday, with the country's supreme leader's military advisor warning that the Gulf of Oman could turn into a "graveyard" for American warships if tensions and Washington's military presence in the region continue to escalate.
Major General Mohsen Rezaei, former supreme commander of the Revolutionary Guards, warned that Tehran considers the naval blockade an act of war and said the country's response would be military.
"My military advice to the US is to retreat before the Gulf of Oman turns into a graveyard for their ships. Otherwise, we consider a naval blockade an act of war and responding to it is our natural right," Rezaei said in statements broadcast on Iranian state television.
The Iranian official also argued that Tehran's restraint so far should not be perceived as acceptance of pressure or threats from the American side.
"If we have shown patience until now, that does not mean we accept it," he said characteristically.
At the same time, he questioned the continuation of the American military presence in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the reasons cited by the US for decades for its presence in the region no longer exist.
"America is coming here and bringing its warships. Who is its enemy? They used to say they came to confront the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union doesn't exist anymore," he said.
Rezaei also referred to the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that it remains open for international trade, but not for military operations or movements that, as he said, threaten the stability of the region.
"The Strait of Hormuz is open for trade, but it will be closed to military buildups and any attempt to destabilize security," he said.
Source: protothema.gr
