“The Islamic Republic has repeatedly announced that the regional countries are capable of maintaining total security in the region and this depends on the withdrawal of US forces,” Deputy Head of the Iranian Armed Forces Chiefs of Staff Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri noted on Monday.
The Iranian commander further urged the Persian Gulf littoral states to make efforts to establish complete security for shipping lines in the Persian Gulf.
Jazayeri emphasized that if the world seeks security of shipping and trade in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, they should take measures to pressure the US to take its military forces out of the region.
His remarks came after an American guided missile destroyer collided with a Japanese-owned bulk oil tanker near the entrance to the Persian Gulf on Sunday.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway which connects the Persian Gulf on the west to the Sea of Oman.
Statistically, the waterway is one of the world's most important shipping routes, with a daily flow of about 15-17 million barrels of oil.
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