Iran maintains Persian Gulf security via its islands

Military Advisor an Chief Consultant to the Supreme Leader pointed out that Iranian islands are vital to security and military bases for the country, saying that Islamic Republic of Iran pursues sustained security in the region in collaboration with neighboring countries.
Answering a question on 2nd Seminar on Geography, Development, Defense, and Security in the Persian Gulf today about the disclosure of the Strait of Hormuz at region if sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran intensified, Major General Seyyed Yahya Rahim Safavi said that as to the Strait of Hormuz I must say that today Iran maintains security over the Persian Gulf as the regional superpower. Also with energy supplies passing from this region which totals 19 million barrels a day, Iran guarantees the energy exported from the region.

“If there are threats against Iran and certain circumstances prevail, then decisions can be made in this regard”, said Major General Safavi, stating that currently, the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the chief authorities is not based on the closure of the Strait.

“Currently we do not perceive immediate threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran” he asserted.

Military Advisor and Chief Consultant to the Supreme Leader also answered questions on the possibility of the usage of the Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman as aircraft carriers, saying that most islands in the Persian Gulf belong to the Islamic Republic of Iran, something clear in the Strait of Hormuz with islands such as Qeshm, Hormuz, Lark, Abu Mousa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb.

“Iran enjoys most control of the entry and exit routes for ships and merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf, since all ships have to pass by Iranian islands due to geographical and environmental reasons, making Iran able to make use of the islands as its security and military bases as it does in its mainland, and of course people of the islands can go on their normal lives.

Major General Safavi asserted that indeed the Iranian islands can contribute to sustainable security, and rivals know the role of the islands in the providing security.

Ex-commander of the IRGC pointed to Iran’s pursue of sustainable security in the Persian Gulf region, saying that we conceive of this issue in terms of collaboration between neighboring countries and believe that 93 foreign warships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are threats to security in the region. Iran believes that sustainable security in the region is possible through collaboration with neighbor countries.