IRGC Navy Ordered to Go to High Seas: General
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said the IRGC Navy has been instructed to bolster its presence in remote waters.
In an address to a gathering of the IRGC commanders in Mashhad on Thursday, Major General Hossein Salami hailed the IRGC Navy as a powerful force that has been tasked with the mission to be present in the high seas.
He said the IRGC Navy is emerging as a massive force in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and beyond.
Highlighting the IRGC Navy’s superiority over the enemies, the commander said a range of weapons, including advanced missiles, highly stable vessels and various sea-based equipment, coupled with true faith of the servicemen, have made the IRGC Navy an invincible force.
In an interview with Tasnim in April, the IRGC Navy commander pointed to plans to expand the “operational depth” of his forces in faraway waters.
Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said the IRGC Navy has embarked on the production of oceangoing vessels in order to protect Iran’s interests amid international communications and relations.
In November 2020, the IRGC Navy unveiled plans to dispatch a flotilla of military vessels, including its first oceangoing warship, to the northern parts of the Indian Ocean.
The IRGC’s oceangoing warship, 150 meters in length and weighing 4,000 tons, is a multipurpose vessel for long-range operations. It is furnished with missiles, air defense systems, and radars.