Iran dismisses claims of shooting rockets at US carrier in Persian Gulf

TEHRAN (defapress) – IRGC Navy Commander Real Admiral Alireza Tangsiri on Saturday dismissed allegations by foreign media that Iran had fired rockets at a US aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf waters during military drills.

News ID: 74502

Date: 23 December 2018 - 11:23

Speaking on the sidelines of an IRGC military drill in the southern Qeshm Island, General Tangsiri said, “the Americans are used to telling lies … Shooting rockets at US aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf is a blatant lie.”

“The American forces are present in the region, but they are not in our waters,” he added.

Noting that Iran’s defense system keeps a constant watch on any vessel that enters the region, the general said, "we are assigned to protect our country and we have the whole region on our radar."

He added that the IRGC Navy monitored the American carrier as it entered into the Persian Gulf waters, saying, "our duty is to defend our boundaries and we are ready to counter anyone that poses risks to the security the of Islamic Republic."

Saying that “the presence of foreign troops in the region disrupts security,” the IRGC chief stressed that Iran can maintain full security in the Persian Gulf in cooperation with neighboring countries.

Tangsiri's remarks were in reaction to claims by some foreign media which reported on Saturday that some 30 Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels fired rockets in the waters patrolled by a US aircraft carrier strike group, which sailed into the Persian Gulf on Friday.

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