Israeli Presence in Persian Gulf Region A Cause of Insecurity: IRGC Chief Warns

Major General Salami on Wednesday urged certain regional countries to end their dealings with the regime

He commented on the security situation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of ​​Oman, drawing attention to movements of the Israelis in the strategic region.

“Unfortunately, some regimes on the southern side of the Persian Gulf have established political and security relations with the Zionist regime, which poses a serious threat to the security of the region and to that of these regimes themselves, in particular,” he said.

“We explicitly declare and warn that the continuation of such relations is not acceptable at all,” Salami added.

The IRGC chief commander cautioned the regional states that Israel’s presence constitutes a source of insecurity not just in the Persian Gulf but in any location.

Salami’s warning came after the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco — three Arab countries that normalized relations with Israel in 2020 — came together for a meeting in the occupied Negev to press ahead with the US-brokered normalization of their relations.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Salami hailed the current status of the combat power of the IRGC units and forces, especially those deployed to the country’s key islands in the south, and their readiness to firmly defend the Islamic Republic’s territories in the face of possible threats.

The IRGC Navy, particularly in recent years, has achieved extraordinary capabilities and achievements in the fields of drones, missiles, electronic warfare and submarines and can show rapid, effective, timely and defensive reaction at all levels, he said.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made substantial headway in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiations.