IRGC commander dismisses U.S. warnings over Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami dismissed on Thursday the U.S. warnings over Iranian threats to close Strait of Hormuz.

Salami said Tehran does not seek Washington's permission to implement its defense strategies in the Persian Gulf, the local satellite Press TV reported on Thursday.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran asks for no other country's permission for the implementation of its defense strategies," Salami was quoted as saying in reaction to Washington's position on Tehran's ability to close the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States is in no position to give permission to Iran, Salami said, adding that the history of confrontations between Tehran and Washington have attested to this fact and the Islamic republic has managed to proceed with its strategies in face of U.S. pressures.

The Pentagon on Wednesday warned Iran against any attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil route.

"This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, including Iran," Pentagon press secretary George Little said. "Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated."

Little's remarks came after Iran's top officials threatened to seal off the important oil passageway. Iran's First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said on Tuesday that Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz if its oil exports are sanctioned by the West.

Again, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Wednesday that the country's naval forces can readily block the oil route if needed.

In a separate statement, the Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday that "anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated."

The Iranian navy launched on Saturday a 10-day exercise dubbed Velayat 90, which covers a length of 2,000 km stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden.