IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami Details Naval Clashes With Israel, UK, U.S.: We Targeted 12 Israeli Ships In The Northern Indian Ocean And Elsewhere; They Surrendered After The Fifth Ship Was Hit

IRGC commander-in-chief General Hossein Salami elaborated on Iranian naval clashes with Israel, Britian, and the United States in an address during President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to the joint headquarters for Iran’s armed forces. He claimed that in response to Israeli attacks against Iranian ships in the Mediterranean and Red Sea, Iran had targeted 12 Israeli ships in the Northern Indian Ocean and elsewhere. Salami said that Israel surrendered after the fifth ship was hit, and the naval conflict was over. He later detailed naval clashes with Britian and the U.S., including a simulated operation to seize an American oil tanker. The address was aired on September 7, 2024 on IRINN TV (Iran).

Hossein Salami: "They hit 14 of our ships in the Mediterranean and Red Sea, in order to thwart our oil export. In the beginning, we did not know which country is targeting our ships. Eventually we figure it out – it was done very covertly. We figured out that the Zionist regime is behind it. Twelve of their ships were targeted [by us]. Twelve ships belonging to the Zionist regime in the Northern Indian Ocean and different locations were targeted. When we hit the fifth ship, they raised their hands [in surrender], and declared the naval confrontation over.

"The British seized our oil tanker in Gibraltar. So we seized the Stena Impero ship to exchange for our tanker, and they surrendered. They seized two of our ships in Greece, so we seized two ships of theirs, and eventually they surrendered. We shot down their advanced unmanned airplane.

"We were experiencing a huge crisis, since they had just killed Commander Soleimani, Ukrainian [flight 752] airplane had crashed, and the coronavirus was dominating. They were imposing maximal economic sanctions. They wanted to keep us politically isolated. The Americans threatened to seize two of our ships headed to Venezuela. While the Americans were watching, General Tangsiri and I simulated an operation to seize an American oil tanker, and announced over the radio what we are doing. When [the Americans] figured out what we were doing, our ships continued on their journey safely."