TEHRAN - A senior commander at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that there is no need for extra-regional forces to ensure the security of the Persian Gulf given that Iran and other neighbors are cooperating to guarantee the security of the strategic waterway.

“The Islamic Republic’s security umbrella has been expanded across the region, and we have cooperation with other neighboring states in this regard,” said Admiral Amrollah Nozari, commander of the third naval zone of the IRGC.

Pointing to a Sunday naval parade in Bandar-e Mahshahr in the southwestern province of Khuzestan Province on the occasion of National Persian Gulf Day, Nozari said the IRGC Navy is responsible to maintain national and shipping security in the region.

The commander further said that the IRGC Navy has an active and strong presence in the region to ensure the security of the Persian Gulf for the Iranian nation and other neighboring states, Press TV reported.

In similar remarks on Saturday, Commander of the IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said his forces will resolutely “protect and safeguard” the Persian Gulf and its resources, urging the United States and the Israeli regime to immediately leave the strategic waterway.

“The illegitimate presence of the aggressive United States and the child-killing Israeli regime in this region has endangered the stability and security of the Persian Gulf,” Tangsiri added, calling on Washington and Tel Aviv to leave the area as soon as possible “so that this sensitive region becomes safer.” 

The Persian Gulf — spanning 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, linking the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

The strategic inland sea is an international trade route connecting the Middle East to open seas.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the Persian Gulf is an “important part of the undeniable identity” of the country and the entire region.

“The Persian Gulf is an important part of the undeniable and common identity of Iran and the region and is a natural resource full of benefits” for its littoral states, Amir Abdollahian said in a post on his Twitter account.

He said getting the most out of the Persian Gulf necessitates security, convergence and collective participation of the littoral states.