In May 12, 2017 statements, Gen. Ahmad Mousavi, commander of a special forces unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, set out the IRGC Navy's strategy for attacking American aircraft carriers in the Gulf. Gen. Mousavi was speaking on the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of Mohammad Nazeri, senior official and founder of the IRGC Navy commando unit, who had trained many top IRGC commanders. The text implies that Nazeri's death may have resulted from the use of chemical weapons, in contrast to other reports which claim that he died of a heart attack.
According to Gen. Mousavi, Nazeri also trained commando fighters in the Syrian army and in Hizbullah. Mousavi said that today all Iranian vessels leaving Iran for Africa and Sri Lanka have Basij and Iranian Vessel Guard forces aboard as part of Nazeri's legacy.
Gen. Mousavi stressed in his statements that the Americans have no answer to the IRGC's strategy for attacking U.S. aircraft carriers – involving hundreds of armed Iranian boats moving at high speed – and noted that the IRGC has decided to attack these American vessels first because they constitute a logistical base.
Gen. Ahmad Mousavi, commander of an IRGC Naval special forces unit. Source: Fars (Iran).
The following are the main points of a report on Gen. Mousavi's statements published by the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency:
"Gen. Ahmad Mousavi, an operative in an IRGC naval special forces unit [apparently a naval commando unit], said: 'We want very fast boats, because the speed of the [American] enemy's [aircraft] carrier is at most 40 km/hr. Now, think of 300 fast boats armed with weapons and Katyusha [rockets] approaching [an aircraft carrier] at 130 km/hr. Who will win? The enemy [aircraft] carriers provide fuel, ammunition, bunks [for troops], and hangar storage for aircraft. [Therefore] we will attack these vessels first. '
"A member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that [the Americans have] no answer to our strategy, because from a certain distance their radar cannot detect [our] swift boats."
Nazeri Told The Commander Of The Syrian Naval Commando Forces: I Will Train For You A Naval Commando [Unit] Named 'Syrian Navy Special Force'
"The martyr Mohammad Nazeri, [a commander] in the commando unit of the IRGC navy, wanted to train certain people so that they would be able to implement some of the orders of [Iranian Supreme] Leader [Ali Khamenei] regarding fighting America, and he excelled at this... Nazeri was a multifaceted man who spent a lot of time researching the armies of the world, and investigated how to physically strengthen people's fighting capability...
"Gen. Nazeri devoted special attention to the Syrians. He would relate how, when he arrived in Syria, the commander of the Syrian naval commando forces, Gen. Muhammad, received him in Tartus with great honor. Therefore, when the [Syrian] forces arrive here [in Iran], they should [also] be received well.
"Some of the Syrian forces came to Hajj Mohammad [Nazeri] in order to undergo training, and after three months they became a naval commando unit. At the same time, Hajj Mohammad sent a message to the commander of the Syrian [naval commando forces] saying: 'I will train for you a naval commando [unit] named "Syrian Navy Special Force.' He stuck this tag to their uniforms and sent them to their commander, Gen. Muhammad. The Syrian commander sent a message to Hajj Mohammad [Nazeri] thanking him.
"The martyr Nazeri wanted very much to increase Iran's might. When Hizbullah was founded, during the time of the martyr 'Abbas Mousavi [a Hizbullah commander assassinated by Israel], Gen. Mousavi arrived at Ba'albeq [Lebanon near the Syrian border], and there selected one group according to body [type], brought these men to Iran, and trained them. That is, Gen. Nazeri trained the first group of Hizbullah [commando fighters]."
"Today Every Vessel Leaving Iran for Africa, Sri Lanka, And So On Has Hajj Mohammad [Basij] Forces Aboard"
"Hajj Mohammad [Nazeari] wanted to eliminate weak points by means of ongoing training. He collected Basij [fighters] operating across Iran and thus launched the Special Basij and the Vessel Guard [unit]. Now every vessel leaving Iran for Africa, Sri Lanka, and so on has Hajj Mohammad forces aboard..."[1]
Hajj Mohammad Nazeri (Fars, Iran, May 12, 2017)
"On May 11, 2016, after Nazeri's death was announced, Deputy IRGC navy commander 'Alireza Tangsiri, gave more details about his death and his activity: 'When carrying out a mission in the Naze'at region [the region of four islands near the Strait of Hormuz], Gen. Mohammad Nazeri was martyred because of a chemical disease... Gen. Nazeri participated in stopping American and English [forces] that were invading Iranian territory in the Persian Gulf... Nazeri was among the fighters of the eight-year attack of the Sacred Defense [i.e. the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war]. He was a seasoned and professional commander in the IRGC Navy, and served… in the [IRGC] airborne infantry unit and also dispatched IRGC Navy vessels to create security for ships and vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden in recent years.
"In addition, he played a prominent role in training commando forces in the IRGC Navy."
Mohammad Nazeri (Fars, Iran, May 11, 2016)
Nazeri with Iranian commandos (Fars, Iran, May 11, 2016)
[1] Fars (Iran), May 12, 2017.
