A senior commander of Iran�s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has slammed a recent �desperate� attempt by the United States to seize an Iranian oil shipment in the strategic Sea of Oman, saying in their act of piracy, the Americans were �shocked� by the elite military force�s heliborne operation. �
�The Americans, together with their agents, sought to steal [Iran�s] oil, prevent the oil�s sale, implement the sanctions project, and humiliate the Iranian people, but they were taken aback,� IRGC Deputy Commander for Political Affairs Brigadier General Yadollah Javani told Tasnim news agency on Sunday.
He added that the IRGC Navy managed to �cleverly capture the oil tanker by carrying out a heliborne operation and steered the ship towards the Islamic Republic�s waters.�

The Americans then �threatened Iran and activated their military units and took an offensive position to prevent the ship from reaching the Iranian waters but their plan failed,� the IRGC commander said.

He emphasized that the failed act of piracy was �another defeat� for the US and �another honor� for the Iranian nation.
�The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic are powerful and mighty in defending the rights of the Iranian people and are fiercely determined to protect national interests,� Javani pointed out.
He further said the Iranian nation is resolute on fighting the arrogant powers and would not tolerate any act of aggression, adding, �We have the ability to respond to any threat.�

The Iranian nation has proved that it is not fearful of the enemy at all, the top IRGC commander emphasized.

The IRGC�s Navy released a video last week showing Iranian forces landing on the deck of a tanker that had seized an Iranian oil shipment in an �act of piracy�. They then navigated the vessel toward Iranian waters. The incident took place on October 25.

Earlier, American forces had confiscated a tanker carrying the cargo of Iranian oil in the strategic Sea of Oman and transferred its consignment of crude to the IRGC-captured MV Sothys, a Vietnamese-flagged ship.

In a statement, the IRGC said that after the American forces had transferred the crude to the second vessel, �timely and powerful� action by the Guards� servicemen �frustrated the operation by the terrorist US Army�s naval forces to steal the Islamic Republic of Iran�s oil in the Sea of Oman.�

 

Source: Press TV