TEHRAN – Iran’s Armed Forces, including both the Navy of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the naval units of the Army (Artesh), have established full security throughout the Persian Gulf and its surrounding waters, according to IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri.

Speaking at a ceremony in the southern port city of Bushehr on Saturday, Tangsiri said the strategic waterway is entirely secure under the vigilance of Iranian forces, stressing that the regional states themselves are capable of maintaining peace and stability without any foreign military presence.

“We firmly believe that the countries of the region are fully capable of ensuring the security of this strategic waterway, and there is no need for the presence of foreign powers,” he stated.

The commander revealed that Persian Gulf littoral states have expressed readiness to hold joint naval exercises with Iran, reflecting a shared commitment to regional security cooperation.

He, however, criticized foreign powers for “fabricating threats and tensions” in a bid to justify their illegitimate presence in the region and promote their arms sales.

Tangsiri praised the Iranian Armed Forces for securing the entire Persian Gulf region, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial chokepoint for global energy transit.

“The world owes the continued openness of this vital strait to the blood of [Iranian] martyrs who sacrificed their lives to keep it secure,” he said.

The admiral also pointed to Iran’s advances in naval technology, noting that in January, the IRGC Navy successfully employed AI-equipped precision missiles mounted on indigenously developed Mohajer-6 and Ababil-5 drones during a major naval exercise in the Persian Gulf.

The upgraded Qaem and Almas missiles, he explained, were part of Iran’s efforts to enhance the accuracy and operational range of its unmanned aerial systems. The drills, codenamed Payambar-e-A’azam (The Great Prophet), also featured a wide range of surface-to-sea and surface-to-surface missile launches, aimed at strengthening the IRGC’s deterrent capabilities while conveying a message of peace and cooperation to neighboring nations.

In March, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen held a joint naval parade in solidarity with the Palestinian people amid Israel’s war on Gaza. The coordinated event, spanning the Persian Gulf, the Makran coast, and the Caspian Sea, involved more than 3,000 heavy and light vessels, underscoring regional unity against aggression and injustice.