Era of US military presence in region ending: IRGC deputy commander

A senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has censured the United States for conducting military drills in the Persian Gulf, saying the era of US military presence in the region is coming to an end.

The IRGC deputy commander for political affairs, Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, said in an interview with Tasnim News Agency in Tehran on Monday that what the US is doing under the guise of "military exercises to enhance security in the Persian Gulf and assisting its allies," is, in fact, part of efforts aimed at consolidating its presence in the region.

“It is apparent that the era for the presence of the Americans [in the region] is coming to an end,” Javani said, adding, “Holding of such drills cannot lead to their continued presence in the region. The Americans are in a situation under which longer presence in the region would be to their detriment, because the regional countries despise the Americans and this awakening of the nations has caused the Americans to lose the position they once held in this region.”

The IRGC official went on to say that, “The Islamic Republic is now an established regional power and is turning into a global one. Today, the United States no longer has the power it once possessed, and is unable to achieve what it wants, but Iran can achieve its goals in accordance with international law both in the region and beyond.”

Stressing that the major cause of insecurity in the region is the presence of foreigners and Americans, Javani said, “If they are after stability in the region, the main solution is for the Americans to leave the region. If the Americans leave the region, the regional countries will be able to establish sustainable security through synergism, because security benefits all the regional countries and the Americans avail themselves of instability in the region."

SS