Iran’s Army spokesman says the country’s armed forces have "new operational plans" that will force US warships to retreat farther from the region in the coming days.
Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia made the remarks in an interview on Friday, discussing the latest developments concerning the US military presence in the region.
He said American forces do not dare to approach the Strait of Hormuz despite President Donald Trump’s claims that he controls the strategic waterway.
"US military vessels had been forced to remain more than 500 kilometers from Iran’s shores," he said, adding that no American warships were currently present in the Sea of Oman.
“American forces have been compelled to retreat to distances of more than 500 kilometers due to the capabilities and intelligence and operational superiority of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces,” Akraminia emphasized.
He also rejected the US president’s claims that Iran’s defenses had been weakened, saying extensive measures had been taken to strengthen and upgrade the country’s defensive systems.
The spokesman said the Army’s Air Defense Force had developed and implemented new operational plans and equipment upgrades under the supervision of the Air Defense Headquarters.
He noted that the implementation of such plans has played a major role in increasing the armed forces’ combat capabilities.
Akraminia reiterated that innovative and combined air defense operations had also been designed and rehearsed to enhance the operational capability and ability to counter threats.
According to the Army spokesman, Iran’s air defense capabilities had undergone substantial changes compared with both the period before the US-Israeli war of aggression and even the conflict itself.
“Today, we have significantly strengthened the country’s air defense capabilities in terms of equipment and operational tactics,” he added.
He further noted that a “considerable” portion of the country’s air defense equipment damaged during the US-Israeli imposed war had been repaired and returned to service while new systems had also been added, increasing air defense coverage.
“Taken together, these measures — including the repair of damaged equipment, the joining of new equipment, the design of innovative operations, and the implementation of operational plans — have significantly enhanced the air defense capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran compared with the past,” Akraminia pointed out.
The spokesman also stressed the importance of improving cooperation among regional countries with the purpose of ensuring collective security, saying they should work together and establish a joint mechanism to facilitate the withdrawal of US forces from the region.
“We believe that lasting peace, calm, and stability can be achieved only through the end of the US presence and interference in the region,” he said.
The US and the Israeli regime jointly launched an unprovoked aggression on Iran on February 28 by targeting Iran’s top officials and also an elementary school in Minab, south of the country, killing 168 children, teachers, and parents.
In response, the Iranian armed forces launched powerful retaliatory attacks against US and Israeli assets in the region, dealing heavy blows to the invading coalition.
The war came to a halt after 40 days with a ceasefire, which was then formalized in mid June by signing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding by the presidents of Iran and the US.
The war inflicted high costs on the aggressors while they failed to achieve their stated objectives of subduing Iran or dismantling its defensive capabilities.
Iran has also maintained a tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz since the early days of the second imposed war.
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