TEHRAN, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Sunday called for full withdrawal of all American forces from the Gulf and West Asia.
In a statement carried by Press TV, the IRGC Navy said that the "illegal" presence of U.S. forces in the region is the source of insecurity in the West Asia.
"The only way to establish sustainable security in this region is the complete withdrawal of Americans from West Asia," said the statement.
The IRGC announcement came as a reaction to the U.S. Navy recent statement that eleven military vessels of the IRGC conducted "dangerous and provocative actions" near U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships in international waters in the Gulf on Wednesday.
The IRGC said that during recent weeks, the U.S. naval forces have repeatedly behaved in an "unprofessional" manner in the Gulf, which has threatened regional peace and given rise to new risks.
"Therefore, in order to prevent the continuation of illegal, unprofessional, dangerous and even adventurist behavior of the American terrorists and also to ensure security for Iranian vessels and fight fuel smuggling, the IRGC Navy increased its marine patrols in the Gulf and on April 15 ... dispatched a group of its vessels, comprised of 11 boats, to the region, where they came face to face with the American warships and military vessels," it said.
The statement added that although the American vessels at first ignored warnings from the IRGC boats and behaved in an unprofessional and provocative manner, they finally had to clear the way for the IRGC Navy's boats and leave the area.
"We advise the Americans to follow international regulations and maritime protocols in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman and to refrain from any adventurism and false stories," according to the statement.
On Friday, Iran's defense minister said that the United States is the cause of insecurity in the Gulf, official IRNA news agency reported.
The "illegal and aggressive" presence of the U.S. forces in the Gulf has been the source of problems for the regional people, Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on the occasion of Iran's Army Day.
In a tweet on Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also slammed the U.S. presence in the waters to the south of Iran, saying that the U.S. forces have come to the Gulf "7,000 miles away from its borders."
