US is ‘uninvited guest’ in Persian Gulf, must be expelled: Iranian commander

The commander of the Islamic Republic’s College of Military Sciences, Brigadier General Hossein Valivand Zamani, called the U.S. an “uninvited guest” in the Persian Gulf, which must be expelled by regional countries.

“Bringing an uninvited guest by some neighboring countries disturbs the peace of others,” Zamani said in a ceremony on the occasion of National Day of Persian Gulf.

He called on all regional countries to set the ground for the U.S. pullout from the region.

“We are seeking to expel not only U.S. but all foreigners from the region and believe that we can maintain security in the Persian Gulf,” he said.

Zamani continued, “We guarantee maintaining security in the Persian Gulf by the Iranian navy forces and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and with cooperation of neighbors who have military coalition with us.”

“They have come to the conclusion that Iran is a great and independent country and it is impossible to reverse the situation,” he further said.

In relevant remarks on February 5, 2020, Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, voiced confidence that the U.S. will withdraw its forces from the region.

The U.S. withdrawal from the region is “imminent and inevitable”, Fadavi said, addressing a ceremony in the Central province of Qom on Wednesday.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been at a decade-long high since the start of 2020, as the assassination of Quds Force commander, Major General Qassem Soleimani, triggered a sequence of events that culminated in a military attack by the IRGC in Iraq.