“The Naval Basij (force) should be quickly organized through the
cooperation of the IRGC Navy and the Basij Organization,” Lieutenant
Commander of the IRGC Navy Brigadier General Ali Akbar Kharatiyan said
on Saturday, addressing a conference in the Southern Iranian city of
Bandar Abbas. General Kharatiyan underlined the high capabilities of
Iran's Basij force, and said that Basij should be empowered to boost
the capabilities of the IRGC Navy. |
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"On the basis of the same plan," he said,
"some members of Basij will undergo specialized trainings in the
field of naval defense and operations."
Last week, IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi hailed his forces
for their excellent implementation of the IRGC’s short-term and
long-term plans, and said the IRGC Navy enjoys active and continued
deterrence power in the sea.
“Creation of active and continued deterrence against the arch
foes of the Islamic Republic in the sea was a chain of goals which was
attained through the efforts of the IRGC Navy’s brave forces,”
Fadavi said in Tehran.
“The interlocking loop of this chain is maintenance and resistance
of this situation and removing the weak points and strengthening the
strong points,” he added.
The IRGC is responsible for the security of the Persian Gulf. In 2008,
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, former commander of the IRGC and the
current military advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution,
declared that the responsibility for defending the Persian Gulf had
been handed over to the IRGC.
He warned that the IRGC would seal the strategic Strait of Hormuz in
case the US launches any attack on Iran's nuclear installations.
Iran's naval power has even been acknowledged by foes. In a Sep. 11,
2008 report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy said
that in the two decades since the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the IRGC
has excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric
warfare against larger naval forces.
According to the report, the IRGC Navy has been transformed into a highly
motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively
in control of the world's oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.
The study says that if Washington takes military action against the
Islamic Republic, the scale of Iran's response would likely be proportional
to the scale of the damage inflicted on Iranian assets.
From Fars News Agency
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