U.S. in no position to prevent Hormuz Strait closure

Date: 3/9/2014 11:15:02 AM

: IRGC official

U.S. in no position to prevent Hormuz Strait closure

Iran is conducting a series of naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz in a show of force. Tehran is now threatening to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz following the European Union's decision to tighten sanctions over Iran's nuclear program. Iran's navy chief says shutting off the Gulf and blocking crude shipments would be "easy".

(SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN NAVY COMMANDER, HABIBULAH SAYARI, SAYING:
"Today, closing the Strait of Hormuz for Iran's armed forces is really easy, or as the Iranians say - it will be easier than drinking a glass of water."

. The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, said on Thursday that the United States is in no position to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz if Tehran deems it necessary.

The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, said on Thursday that the United States is in no position to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz if Tehran deems it necessary.

Salami made the remarks in response to the warning issued by the U.S. Fifth Fleet on December 28, in which it said that it would not allow any disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated,” the Bahrain-based fleet said in an e-mail, according to Reuters.

The warning came a day after the commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, in an interview with Press TV said, “Closing the Strait of Hormuz for Iran's armed forces is really easy ... or as Iranians say it will be easier than drinking a glass of water.”

“But right now, we don't need to shut it as we have the Sea of Oman under control and we can control the transit,” said Sayyari, who is leading 10 days of war games in the strait, which began on December 24.

Salami said, “The Americans are in no position to either allow or not allow us (to close the strait). The history of the confrontation between Iran and the U.S. has shown that.”

“In the event that Iran’s vital interests are threatened in any way, we will use threat against threat and will not stop implementing our strategies,” he added.
Iran will not ask for any country’s permission to employ its defensive strategies, he said, adding, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, over the past 33 years, has showed that it has successfully implemented its measures despite the U.S. interference.”
He also said, “We will act more determinedly and strongly than ever to implement defensive strategies to defend the vital values of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran, Iran ownership of Strait of Hormuz