Iran Strikes Back: IRGC Chief Claims 14 Israeli Vessels Targeted in Retaliation

The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami has announced that Iran successfully targeted over a dozen Israeli vessels in retaliation for the regime’s attacks on Iranian oil tankers in international waters.

During a visit by President Masoud Pezeshkian to Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters in Tehran, Salami revealed that the Israelis had struck 14 Iranian ships in an attempt to strangle the country’s crude oil exports. However, after 12 Israeli vessels were hit in response, Salami said ‘Israel’ called for a ceasefire in the ship war.

Salami also referenced previous incidents where Iran had taken action against Western vessels, such as the seizure of a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz in 2019 and the confiscation of two ships in retaliation for the US seizure of an Iranian tanker off the Greek coast.

Salami said when UK seized an Iranian oil tanker off Gibraltar, “we took the Stena Impero and they surrendered”, referring to the IRGC’s confiscation of the British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz in 2019.

“They took two ships from us in Greece, we took two ships from them and finally they surrendered,” Gen. Salami said, referring to Iran’s retaliation in May 2022 after the US seizure of an Iranian tanker off the Greek coast.

“When our two oil tankers headed to Venezuela, the Americans threatened to seize the two oil tankers. I myself and [IRGC Navy chief Rear Admiral Alireza] Tangsiri simulated the operation of seizing an American oil tanker and announced it on radio call. When the Americans saw it, our tankers reached their destination safely,” he added.

“We successfully managed to shut off all the openings that the enemy had created. The safest shipping lanes now belong to those vessels carrying the Iranian flag,” Salami added.

Source: Iranian media (edited by Al-Manar English Website)