4 Persian Gulf islands integral part of Iran: IRGC cmdr.

The chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the four islands lying close to the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf are an integral part of the country’s territory.

IRGC Commander-in-Chief Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari made the remark during a visit to the Naziat region in southern Iran, where the four islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tonb, the Lesser Tonb, and Siri are located, Tasnim news reported on Wednesday.

The United Arab Emirates lays claim to their ownership. The Islamic Republic roundly rejects those claims.

“Our enemies should know that these islands are an indivisible part of Islamic Iran and that all of our forces stand to defend every inch of them,” Major General Jafari said.

The commander said extra-regional provocation of Iran’s neighbors as a means of creating rifts among regional nations would not lead anywhere.

“Today, those of our neighbors who are friendly [to us] have realized that the Islamic Republic is their real brother and companion,” Jafari said on Abu Musa Island.

The security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, he said, has to be provided solely by regional countries, among which Iran plays a central and defining role.

Jafari said the IRGC was committed to enhancing its defensive capabilities and preparedness as well as intelligence command that enables security in the Naziat region.