Iran Rejects US Claims of Naval Destruction

(MENAFN) Iran has rejected assertions from the United States that its naval power has been eliminated, cautioning that US President Donald Trump may attempt to deploy vessels into the Persian Gulf “if he dares.” Officials in Tehran insisted that the country’s maritime forces remain intact and capable of defending their strategic waters.

"The Strait of Hormuz is completely under the management of the IRGC Navy and Iran has complete sovereignty," said Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naini, a spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"Doesn't Trump say that he destroyed the Iranian Navy? So if he dares, he can send his ships into the Persian Gulf region," he added.

Naini further asserted that Iranian forces have already fired roughly 700 missiles and 3,600 drones against targets associated with the United States and Israel since the conflict intensified.

According to the IRGC spokesperson, the confrontation will conclude only when "the enemy" acknowledges the power of Iran’s military capabilities and its societal deterrence. He emphasized Tehran’s determination to respond forcefully, stating: "We seek to punish the aggressor and continue our heavy and destructive attacks on the enemy."

Since Israel and the US carried out coordinated strikes on Iran on Feb. 28—operations that reportedly resulted in about 1,300 deaths, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—tensions have sharply intensified.

Tehran has answered with waves of missile and drone assaults aimed at Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states that host American military facilities. Additionally, Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz beginning in early March.

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