Iran monitors every ship that enters the region from the Indian Ocean and keeps watch on all their movements, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told IRNA on Tuesday.

“We will not let any movement [of enemies] in Iran’s territorial waters,” said the former Navy commander, adding, “the regional security can be ensured by the regional countries and there is absolutely no need for the help of others in providing security.”

Those who enter the region by the excuse of strengthening security, just undermine this factor wherever they go as they did in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, he added.

On Friday, a US naval fleet including USS John C Stennis aircraft entered the Persian Gulf through Strait of Hormuz. This is the first US aircraft carrier entering the Persian Gulf after US unilateral withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal. The US fleet entrance into the region coincided with the IRGC military drills. According to reports, some 30 IRGC boats trailed the US fleet as it was passing through the strait.

“Be sure that they [US fleet] don’t dare take measures against us. Our approach is to think like the nights of operations; it means we should always be ready,” Sayyari told reporters Monday on the sideline of an event in Tehran, adding, “we will never let the fleet come near Iran’s territorial waters.”

Speaking in a ceremony on Monday to commemorate the return of Iranian prisoners-of-war (POWs), Sayyari compared the humane behavior of the Islamic Republic with the inhumane and cruel conduct of Saddam’s regime with the prisoners-of-war. “The Ba’ath regime used every kind of torture to penetrated and influence the will and thought of our soldiers, placing them against the values of Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution, however, they stood firmly against the enemy and never got on their knees, and this was a sign of victory.”

Islamic Republic of Iran behaved based on moral and Islamic considerations with Iraqi prisoners and highly regarded providing food, clothing, health care and other needs to them, he noted.

Speaking in a local ceremony held on Thursday, Sayyari said, “undoubtedly, Islamic Republic of Iran, under its wise leadership, can foil conspiracies of enemies waged against the country.”

After the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution, enemies of the country left no stone unturned and tried their utmost efforts to undermine the true image of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the global arena, he said, adding, “creating ethnic and religious conflicts, launching wave of terror and also an imposed war against the country were of the main goals of enemy to confront with the Establishment in the early years of the Islamic Revolution.”

The enemies do not want to understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not tolerate the bullying, hegemony and colonization of others, Sayyari maintained.

“If we fail to resist against the enemies, they will certainly attack the country. In this regard, increasing defensive and military power, as well as promoting spirituality and faith are of the most effective strategies to strengthen deterrence against the enemy.”

Today, the country is practically involved in the soft war, he said, adding, “in the current situation, it is logical to use the Quranic concepts and safeguard values of the Islamic Revolution in the best form possible.”

Imposition of sanctions by US on Iran is one of the threats facing the country and in this regard, US wants to exert more economic pressures against Iran, he said, adding, “we are confident that the country will be able to overcome threats considerably.”

“The armed forces are at the center of economic resistance and they are performing their own duties. Let’s not forget that in a country where there is no security, the economy cannot work properly and there will not be economic prosperity and welfare,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Monday in the northwestern city of Tabriz.

“The Armed Forces have established and maintained security so far and will continue to do so and the fact that they rely on themselves in production and supply of all the weapons means that they are helping the government and the economy of the country,” Sayyari said.

Referring to the heavy cost of purchasing weapons from abroad and the domestic ability to build them inside the country, Sayyari said “production of weapons inside the country has saved a large amount of money.

Praising the high level of potential and capability of Iranian military experts in producing military equipment and weapons domestically, he said “Iran’s Navy can build a destroyer at a cost of $45 million, foreign equivalent of which is sold $180 million in global markets.”