IRGC Navy Commander Claims Smart Control Over Strait of Hormuz, Disputes US Assertions

IRGC Navy Commander General Ali Ozmaei, in his first televised interview, stated that Iranian forces exercise smart control over the Strait of Hormuz, requiring vessels to obtain permission before transiting. He disputed US claims of controlling the waterway and commented on the reduced operational effectiveness of US naval assets in the region. He also noted that the cost of transporting oil to West Asia stands at approximately $150 per barrel.

Speaking in his debut televised appearance, IRGC Navy commander Ali Ozmaei addressed the question of navigational control over the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that any assertion by US officials of holding authority over that waterway did not align with conditions as they stood on the ground. The IRGC Navy commander stated that anyone seeking to determine whether the Strait of Hormuz remains open or navigable should assess conditions on the ground directly, and separately characterised the current posture of US naval forces in the region as amounting to fuel-smuggling operations. Ozmaei went on to assert that the carrier, valued at roughly $13 billion, had been rendered operationally marginal by keeping a position 700 to 800 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz — a distance he attributed to vulnerability — while separately contending that the strait and the Persian Gulf fall under IRGC Navy jurisdiction, with the Sea of Oman covered by the naval branch of the Iranian Army. The naval blockade, Ozmaei stated, extends beyond the Sea of Oman into the Arabian Sea, where naval forces also operate; passage through the Strait of Hormuz requires prior authorisation, with vessels travelling to or from Iran receiving permits based on prevailing conditions; he added that some vessels were departing the area at night without lights, which he attributed to encouragement from American forces; and he noted that oil transport costs to West Asia had reached approximately $150 per barrel, describing that figure as placing a considerable burden on the region.

IRGC Navy Commander Claims Smart Control Over Strait of Hormuz, Disputes US Assertions

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IRGC Navy Commander Claims Smart Control Over Strait of Hormuz, Disputes US Assertions

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