Iran’s President: World Owes Gratitude to IRGC for Persian Gulf Security
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps for its professional move to capture a British oil tanker that had violated international rules, saying the entire world owes gratitude to the IRGC for ensuring security of the Persian Gulf.
In comments at a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, Rouhani lauded the IRGC Navy for its courageous move to capture UK oil tanker “Stena Impero” for violating international maritime laws when crossing the high-traffic Strait of Hormuz on July 19.
“The IRGC captured the violating British ship courageously and forcefully, because it had ignored all orders and warnings, and it (the IRGC) has done a very precise, professional and right job in this regard. I believe that the entire world should be grateful to the IRGC for security of the Persian Gulf,” the president added.
“In addition to protecting the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Republic of Iran is trying to ensure security of other waterways in the world, including the Bab-el-Mandeb and the Indian Ocean,” he said.
“The main responsibility to guard the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf lies mainly with Iran and the neighboring countries, and it is none of others’ business,” the president underlined, adding that the Iranian nation has been always the guardian of the Persian Gulf.
He further said Iran does not seek tensions or clashes with certain European countries, stressing that they will be receiving an appropriate response if they back off from the illegal measure to seize Iran’s supertanker near Gibraltar.
On July 4, the British Royal Marines seized Iran’s oil tanker Grace 1 in Gibraltar on charge of trying to take oil to Syria allegedly in violation of the EU sanctions.
Tehran has made it clear that the supertanker was not bound for Syria and its seizure has taken place at the behest of the US.
Two weeks later, the IRGC Navy captured British oil tanker Stena Impero for violating international maritime laws when crossing the high-traffic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf on July 19.
The UK vessel had switched off its GPS locator, in contravention of international regulations, and was sailing into the Strait of Hormuz in a wrong traffic pattern.
The British tanker was entering the strait from the southern route which is an exit path, increasing the risk of an accident.
