Iran commander claims US forces retreated 1,000km from Iranian borders

TEHRAN: (News Desk) ; Senior Iranian military commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi has claimed that US forces have withdrawn more than 1,000 kilometres from Iran’s borders, attributing the move to Iran’s military strength and the capabilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to Iran’s Press TV, Fadavi said the United States had been forced to move its forces away from Iran’s borders and claimed that no US vessels were currently present in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Sea of Oman or northern Indian Ocean.

He further claimed that US warships were highly vulnerable to attacks by the IRGC and said Iran had prevented the United States from achieving its objectives in the ongoing conflict.

Fadavi also claimed that the Strait of Hormuz had remained under Iranian control for months. He said commercial ship captains using the southern part of the waterway had raised objections over security concerns but were continuing to use the route because of insurance, financial and liability issues.

The IRGC commander warned that vessels passing through routes designated by Iran could face Iranian naval action, saying the IRGC Navy had already informed ships of the potential risks.

Addressing the possibility of a US ground invasion, Fadavi warned that any American military base or vessel could become a target. He also said Iran had targeted US military bases in regional countries rather than those countries themselves.

Fadavi urged regional states to resist US pressure and argued that Washington had failed to achieve its objectives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He also claimed that Iran and Oman, as the two littoral states of the Strait of Hormuz, had jointly established and implemented rules governing the strategic waterway, rejecting attempts by the United States to impose its will on the region.

The claims come amid heightened tensions in the region and continued US military pressure on Iranian maritime trade.