Delivering a speech at a ceremony held to honor Iranian journalists on Sunday, Major General Amir Hatami stressed that the United States no longer has any authorization or right to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, or the Strait of Hormuz, and declared that the return of U.S. military bases to their previous status would under no circumstances be possible.
Referring to the U.S. government’s futile attempt to turn the Strait into a “land of crime,” Hatami said: “This is Iran, and it has guardians who will not allow any aggressor to set foot on its territory. Even if such claims are made as a joke, they will still be met with a crushing response.”
In another part of his remarks, Maj. Gen. Hatami said the Iranian Army would offer a $30,000 reward to anyone who successfully either kills, captures, or hands over invading U.S. personnel.
He also added: “Brave Iranian women who successfully carry out such actions will receive twice the reward given to others. The weapons used will be repurchased at twice their purchase price and replaced with new weapons.”
The Army commander described the Strait of Hormuz as a “God-given geopolitical asset” and one of Iran’s principal levers for bringing tensions and war to an end.
He stressed that activating the Strait’s strategic potential was one of the consequences of the recent conflict: “We will protect this sacred Strait with all our strength and on the orders of the Leader, because managing this lever is one of the key prerequisites for lifting the shadow of war from the Iranian people.”
Neda Sajjadi - seyed mohammad kazemi
