Iranian Strategist Hassan Abbasi: America Has Been Dead Since the 1979 Hostage Crisis

On December 2, 2021, a video featuring IRGC-affiliated Iranian strategist Dr. Hassan Abbasi was uploaded to the YouTube channel of Pure Stream Media – a Shi'ite organization whose goal is "to educate the masses about Islam." The video contained a montage of footage, including drone footage, that showed Iranian naval forces surrounding and seizing an oil tanker. It also showed footage from 2016 of American sailors in Iranian captivity. Dr. Abbasi said that Iranian naval forces prevented U.S. naval forces from stealing an Iranian oil tanker, and that the Americans could do absolutely nothing about it. He said that Iran had naval reinforcements ready if necessary, and that America has been "dead" since the 1979 hostage crisis and since the Iranian people started shouting "Death to America." In addition, Dr. Abbasi said that no other country dares to threaten American ships, and he congratulated Iran's forces on their "great victory" and their vast show of force.

Dr. Hassan Abbasi: "America – the superpower – is dead. And this is just the beginning. Four [Islamic Iran] canoes [speedboats] come and their UAV films it from above. 4 speedboats come and seize the oil tanker from the clutches of America's destroyers and you weren't able to do a thing.

"Officially, their commanders announced that they were just present there to watch. Really!? Does a boat – that is just there to watch – come [as close as] 20 to 40 meters from the boats that are circling the oil tanker? Someone has to be a commander of a naval unit to understand the importance and value of the work done – of which videos were released [by the Islamic Republic].

"America – the superpower – is dead. America was finished when the noble Iranian people came to the streets and said, 'Death to Shah' and 'Death to America.' America, the superpower, died when its Den of Espionage [was captured] in the year 1979 – nine months after [the victory of] the Islamic Revolution – when it had done everything to overthrow the [Islamic] Revolution and the newly [established] government of the Islamic Republic [of Iran]; so that it could either overthrow the Islamic Republic [of Iran] or deviate and confiscate it. [America was finished] when [Ronald] Reagan – the [then] President of America – announced that Iran had insulted them and Imam [Khomeini] said, 'This is just the beginning.'

"After the passage of 43 years of America not being able to enter Iran and trying everything to be able to get back to Iran – now too, it is begging the Islamic Republic, day and night to come for negotiations – no one would've thought that on the 43rd anniversary of the capture of the Den of Espionage of the United States, America would once again be reminded of Imam [Khomeini's] words 'that this is just the beginning'.

"And everyone saw how humiliatingly America failed in its operation to steal oil, and handed over the arena to the IRGC navy in the Sea of Oman.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy was also present in that region with authority – at a distance – to provide backup and fight the enemy if needed. You must know that no one [else] dares to threaten or warn American ships. America – in implementation of its naval artillery strategy for besieging the coast of every country – sends its ships, and aircraft carriers and warships and destroyers and cruisers there. And yet, the oil tanker was freed right in front of America's eyes and released from the clutched [of America], and was transferred to Bandar Abbas [Iranian port city].

"I congratulate the Navy of the Islamic Republic [of Iran], including the Islamic Republic Navy as well as the IRGC Navy, on this great victory, on this vast authority [show of power], and because it made the people feel great. And once again, America wasn't able to do anything about it."