TEHRAN- Major General Mostafa Izadi says US forces have moved more than 500 kilometers from regional waters, arguing that Washington’s military presence has failed to provide security for regional countries.

The United States may move its forces even farther from the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, the deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Mostafa Izadi, has said, attributing the withdrawal to Washington’s concerns over Iran’s military capabilities.

In an interview with Tasnim News Agency, Izadi said US forces had moved more than 500 kilometers away from the region’s waters, adding that the distance could increase further in light of the United States’ current predicament.

“Given the current situation of the United States, this distance may increase even further,” he said.

Izadi portrayed the repositioning as evidence of a shift in the regional security balance, arguing that the presence of US military forces had failed to deliver security and had instead contributed to regional instability.

He said countries in the region had increasingly recognized that their security could not be guaranteed by an outside military presence, stressing the importance of regional countries taking greater responsibility for their own security.

Iran says military readiness has grown through conflict

The IRGC deputy commander said successive wars and confrontations had enhanced the preparedness and vigilance of Iran’s Armed Forces, while also giving the country’s military personnel and population greater familiarity with adversaries’ tactics.

He also pointed to public mobilization as a factor in thwarting efforts to undermine Iran’s territorial integrity and gain control over its strategic resources.

“Iranian people have been present in the streets for seven months and thwarted the enemy’s plan to disintegrate our country and gain control over our oil,” Izadi said.

He added that repeated assassinations had failed to weaken Iran’s capabilities or bring the country to defeat, arguing that military pressure and targeted killings had not achieved their intended objectives.

The remarks reflect Tehran’s broader position that its military resilience rests on a combination of defense capabilities, public support and the ability to sustain pressure during prolonged confrontations.

Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab at the center of regional security

Izadi also highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, two critical maritime chokepoints connecting major shipping routes and energy markets.

“The Resistance Front has accomplished a major feat, and today the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait are in the hands of the Resistance,” he said.

The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is a vital route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. Bab al-Mandab, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, is an important passage for commercial shipping between Europe and Asia.

The two waterways occupy distinct but strategically significant positions in regional security calculations. Developments affecting either can have implications for maritime traffic, energy supply chains and shipping costs.

Izadi’s remarks linked the movement of US forces to Iran’s ballistic-missile capabilities and the broader regional influence of the Resistance Front.

“Today, the enemy has fled hundreds of kilometers away from our seas out of fear of Iran’s ballistic missiles,” he said.

The IRGC deputy commander described the developments as evidence of Iran’s strength and determination to confront its adversaries, arguing that the regional balance had entered a new phase.