Iran Press/Iran News: In further comments Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said the presence of a US aircraft carrier and its accompanying ships was nothing new, and that at the present time, the least number of US aircraft carrier and warships were in the Persian Gulf.
He pointedly added: "In the past out of a total of nine US aircraft carriers, five were located in the Persian Gulf, and at one stage we had 300 US warships in this region. Under those conditions, Iranian armed forces, navy and IRGC kept their morale and showed complete mastery, striking fear in the heart of the enemy," Iran Press reported.
Rear Admiral Fadavi reiterated: "Our armed forces and naval forces have complete control over the Persian Gulf and the northern Strait of Hormuz, and any foreign warship moving in the waters of the Persian Gulf must ask Iran's permission to move in these waters."
He poignantly added: "Iran's control over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is well-known and for several years now, foreign warships ask our permission in Persian (Farsi) to move in the waters of the Persian Gulf, and this single fact tells volumes about Iran's mastery and control of these waters."
Asked about military exercises in the Persian Gulf, IRGC Rear Admiral Fadavi said: "These drills have been planned well in advance and every year we engage in military exercises, as a show of force, to warn our enemies and to reassure our friends." 101/211
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