TEHRAN- The U.S. military’s presence in the Persian Gulf on the pretext of safeguarding the important maritime region has been bluntly rejected by the chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy.

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said the U.S. and other countries do not need to be present in the strategically important waterway since only Iran and other regional nations will be able to maintain the security of the Persian Gulf.

“You are terribly wrong to be here in our region,” Tangsiri said during an official event in the city of Dezful in the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

He declared, “If we yield to the enemy, it will unquestionably rule us, and we have no alternative but to stand and resist, which is the road to our country's success.”

Tangsiri also praised the city for its outstanding resistance during the Iraqi invasion of the country in the 1980s.

Based on the remarks of Tangsiri, who referred to Dezful as a representation of resiliency and invincibility, “during the eight years of the Sacred Defense, we demonstrated to the world that we did not and would not submit to duress.”

Iran refers to resistance against the invading Saddam Army as Sacred Defense.

Tangsiri also emphasized the function of the national media in stymieing propaganda from the enemy.

“We resolutely secure the Persian Gulf, and the media must participate in this security and reflect the capabilities of the IRGC Navy and the Army so that the world understands that the security of the Persian Gulf does not need foreigners,” Tangsiri remarked.

He went on to add, “We stand firmly against the enemy and will defend the honor and dignity of the Iranian nation.”

The Persian Gulf — which spans some 251,000 square kilometers — is bounded by the Arvand River in the north, which forms the frontier between Iran and Iraq, and the Strait of Hormuz in the south, which links the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

The inland sea is an international trade route linking regional countries to open seas.

Iran has made it plain that it views U.S. military ships loitering in the Persian Gulf waters as a danger to its national security as well as a cause of unrest and instability in the region.  

The Islamic Republic has frequently pledged to respond forcefully to any hostile action taken by Washington that jeopardizes the safety of the crucial waterway.