TEHRAN - Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said on Wednesday that Iran is planning to extend its area of operation to the Panama Canal that divides South and North America. 

Speaking at a navy ceremony on Wednesday, Irani said, “Today, we have a great opportunity in the sea area for the development of the country, and we can turn this gift from an economic capacity into a civilizational capacity by using the maritime capacity properly. Today, the use of the sea is a geopolitical advantage for us, and those who do not have this capacity are suffering from geopolitical suffocation.”

The Iranian navy is planning to expand its scope of operations, he said. 

“So far, we have been present in all the strategic straits of the world and we have not been present in only two straits, in one of which we will be present this year and we are planning to be present in the Panama Canal,” he said, according to Fars News. 

He added, “The actions taken today in the Navy would not have been possible without the support of the elite society, knowledge-based companies and the Ministry of Defense. Today, this capacity is at the service of the country's progress.”

The Navy said Iran started voyage in the sea much earlier than the Europeans.

“We started seafaring much earlier than the Europeans, and this maritime civilization can be revived. Today we need to strengthen our maritime presence and today we can say that there is no problem in the scientific field to grow in this field. But most of this capacity is used in the military field and other sectors should also make more efforts in this field."

He stated, “Today, if my comrades are approaching the shores of the American continent, they are showing signs of the authority of dear Iran. As a showcase for the dear people of our country, we appeared in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Of course, along this route, Australia and the French created threats for us and tried to violate the laws they had approved to cross their coasts. But we answered them with authority and according to the law.”

The top military official also said Iran has established command centers for the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

“We have formed three oceanic commands, including the Indian Ocean Command, the Pacific Ocean Command, and the Atlantic Ocean Command. Today we are present in the Indian and Atlantic oceans and soon we will be present in the Pacific Ocean. The equipment that will join the Navy in the future is in line with the mission of these three commands,” Irani explained. 

Irani underlines need for going on the defensive 

Based on the remarks made by the commander of the Iranian Army Navy, Tehran has no choice but to protect its faith and engage the foes from a defensive stance in order to preserve Iran's place in the geometry of strength and enable the 1,400-year-old strong tree to stand magnificently.

Speaking on Tuesday evening at the first Navy Round-the-Clock Quranic School's opening ceremony for memorization and familiarization with the sacred ideas of the Glorious Quran in the Navy's First District, Irani reaffirmed, "What counts in the geometry of power is that those who stand tall in the power field, as somehow hit."

He continued by saying that the enemy today does not only rely on its facilities but also works to instill stronger beliefs among its troops. 

“In other words, the enemy today has more than just its facilities because those facilities are used to exploit personnel, which is why instilling stronger beliefs is so crucial,” he added.

The navy commander underscored that it is not true that a U.S. soldier, pilot, or sailor has traveled some 10,000 miles to reach the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf and wants to get involved in a military operation with a blank mind.”

The First Navy District's opening of this first Quranic school is a step in the correct direction, according to the Navy commander, who highlighted that there is no question that the enemies are attempting to shape the ideas of their people and employees, even though "their beliefs differ from ours."

“On the one hand, shaping up the society is in mind, which will eventually lead to the building of the Islamic civilization, and is mentioned in seven or eight articles of the Second Step Statement,” he continued. “On the other hand, Quranic studies are among the demands of the Commander of Armed Forces, that the Navy's Ideological and Political Organization has taken the right step in that path.”

"Our fellow soldiers are currently conducting their tasks in remote regions of the Atlantic Ocean on a large scale, waving the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a consequence of the sufferings accepted by the Navy's Ideological, Political Organization," he stated.