In a January 4, 2022 interview on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon), IRGC Deputy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Ali Fadavi said that in the 2016 Farsi Island incident, the Americans quickly realized that they were "criminals on death row" and that they are at risk of being targeted by the full force of the IRGC, so they quickly obeyed the IRGC's orders. He also said that when the time is right, Iran will strike America and its Zionist "followers" with great force. In addition, he said that if Israel acts against Iran, Iran will turn Haifa and Tel Aviv into dust. Moreover, Admiral Fadavi said that the Americans will soon be annihilated and that they will cease to control the world and the region.
Ali Fadavi: "When we captured the Americans in the Farsi Island [incident of 2016], the Americans felt superior in the first 20 minutes. They felt like a superpower, so they launched planes from their aircraft carriers. Had the Americans shot a single bullet towards Farsi Island, which is our land, we would have attacked their aircraft carrier as well as a large number of vessels in that area.
"However, the Americans realized very soon that they were the accused, that they were the criminals on death row, and that they are at risk of being targeted by the full force of the IRGC. So they acted quickly. They replaced the person communicating with us from the aircraft carrier with a woman who spoke Persian. Two out of every three words she said was 'fine,' which translated into 'I am obeying your orders.' They did very quickly what we asked them to do.
"This is the status of the Americans, this is the status of the enemies of Allah, and this is the status of those who stand with the axis of Falsehood. We do not have the slightest doubt that at the right time, when we strike America — the Great Satan — and its Zionist followers, we will strike them with great force.
"As Imam Khamenei famously said a long time ago, when the Zionists were entertaining some illusions... He said: 'If they take even the smallest step [against us] we will turn Haifa and Tel Aviv into dust.'
"If the Zionists do something stupid and take a step against us, whether big or small, we will see this as a sign that Allah decreed that we should be attacked so that we could retaliate. This would mean the annihilation of the Zionists. It is a fact that the Zionists will go away much faster than the time frame determined by the Leader.
"Soon we will witness the annihilation of the Americans and their dominance over the world, and specifically over this region. Soon we will see them leave the region. This will definitely happen."