TEHRAN - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy issued a statement on Sunday saying Iran will respond firmly to any miscalculation of the United States, advising Washington to avoid any adventurism in Persian Gulf.

The statement called the U.S. claims about the Iranian boats getting close to the U.S. vessels “fake” and liken them to some “Hollywood” scenarios.

U.S. Navy issued a statement on Wednesday claiming that 11 Iranian IRGC boats had closed in on up to six U.S. naval vessels in the Persian Gulf “in dangerous and harassing approaches”.

The IRGC statement said, “In the past weeks, we witnessed the United States’ terrorist navy’s unprofessional behaviors which threatened the region. One of these actions was obstructing the path of Martyr Siavoshi ship on April 6, when the ship was returning from a mission in the southeast of Farsi Island. Based on the ship’s black box data, the United States’ terrorist warship was conducting dangerous behaviors and ignored the preliminary warnings. It finally diverted from the path of the Guards’ vessel.”

“Once again, at six o’clock in the morning of April 7, in a region in front of Asaluyeh and within 30 miles distance of Iranian platform, the United States’ terrorist fleet with the number CG72 on its side obstructed the path of Martyr Siavoshi vessel. This vessel finally succeeded in continuing its path through a professional and intelligent action,” the statement added.

The statement also said on April 15, after announcing a state of shooting, the IRGC sent 11 gunboats to the region considered for practicing and faced the U.S. vessels and made them leave the path of the boats.

It added, “The illegitimate presence of the terrorist regime of the United States is source of insecurity in the region and removal of the United States’ forces from West Asia is the only way to strengthen security.” 

In a tweet on Thursday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reminded Washington that by its presence in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Navy is 7,000 miles away from home.

He mentioned a 2-year-old tweet of himself that read, “US Navy can’t seem to find its way around our waters. Perhaps because it hasn’t figured out its name: Persian Gulf, as it’s been called for 2,000 yrs longer than U.S. has existed.”

Defense Minister Amir Hatami also said on Friday that the U.S. “illegal” and “aggressive” presence in the Persian Gulf has weakened security in the region.

“It is the United States’ illegal and aggressive presence that weaken security in the Persian Gulf region. They [the U.S.] has come near Iran’s borders from other ends of the world and make unfounded claims,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a parade held to mark the National Army Day.

Hatami added, “The Iranian people are insightful and know who is right. We are in our home and they have come from other ends of the world to cause problems for the regional countries through threats and sanctions.”

NA/PA