US military ships will never be allowed to enter Persian Gulf: Top general
Iran said on Saturday that US military ships would never be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf “under any circumstances” and President Donald Trump will “take that dream to his grave”.
The remarks came amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack warned that Washington could “absolutely” strike Iran as soon as this weakened.
“We will not allow US military ships in the Persian Gulf under any circumstances and at any time,” said Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Ali Abdollahi.
“The US president must dream of seeing the armed forces enter the Persian Gulf. He will take that dream to his grave.”
He said Iran’s Armed Forces have rendered the US Navy ineffective, despite Washington’s portrayal of the force as a symbol of American power and its use to threaten countries in the region and beyond.
The senior commander also questioned US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed, while Washington continued to insist that Tehran must not possess nuclear weapons — a claim repeatedly rejected by the Islamic Republic.
“If you have destroyed everything, then what is the meaning of repeating this delusion?” Abdollahi said, describing the statements as meaningless and contradictory.
He argued that they were intended to mislead public opinion worldwide, particularly in the United States.
He also challenged Washington’s assertions that Iran’s military capabilities have been eliminated, asking why US warships and military forces have not dared to approach the Strait of Hormuz or Iran’s maritime and land borders.
Iranian forces have restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy conduit and gateway to the Persian Gulf, since the United States and Israel launched their aggression against Iran on February 28.
In retaliation, the United States has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports and ships.
Tehran has required vessels to seek permission to transit, and targeted ships attempting to pass through Hormuz via the unauthorized routes.
Several ships attempting to transit Hormuz through the route Tehran considers “illegal” were hit by mines in recent days.