The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami said that the United States will not start a war with Iran in the Persian Gulf, as they understand what consequences this will have for them and their allies in the region.

“We are convinced that the United States does not want a war with Iran ... All Iranian armed forces are ready to defend the country and will give a decisive response to any act of aggression,” said Hossein Salami on August 7 during a visit to the border province of Kermanshah in the west of the country.

“Right now, border security is a priority for the Iranian Armed Forces,” added the IRGC commander.

According to the general, “the enemy is exhausted and demonstrates mental and political fatigue,” which is clearly visible in the battle with Iran. Despite economic, political and cultural pressure, Tehran has successfully repelled attempts to start a war with the Islamic Republic, Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Salami as saying.

  • Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Hossein Salami
  • Reuters
  • © Morteza Nikoubazl

Earlier, Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi Fard, commander of the Iranian Air Defense Forces, warned Iran’s enemies against reckless actions in the region.

"At present, our military equipment and our experience is superior to what happened during the years of the Holy Defense (Iran’s war with Iraq in 1980 - 1988), so the enemies should not make mistakes," the Iranian news agency ABNA quoted him as saying.

Mutual captures

Recall that Iran’s relations with the United States and Western countries escalated after the British military in Gibraltar arrested the Grace One super tanker on July 4, 2019, allegedly transporting 2 million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria, bypassing sanctions against Damascus.

The UK Defense Department later said that three Iranian boats attempted to stop a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, which was prevented by frigate HMS Montrose.

  • Tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz
  • globallookpress.com
  • © Xinhua

On July 19, the British oil tanker Stena Impero was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the military, the reason for the detention of the vessel was a "violation of international law of the sea" and a collision with an Iranian fishing vessel.

Soon after, the White House imposed sanctions against Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program were extended through the US State Department.

In addition, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington has sent requests to Britain, France, Germany, Norway, Japan, South Korea and Australia with a proposal to join the coalition to maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz, whose forces will patrol the sea route and protect tankers from possible capture from Iran.

Amid the extremely tense situation that has developed between Iran and the United States, an expected exchange of harsh statements and actions is underway, Iranian expert Irina Fedorova explained in an interview with RT. However, in her opinion, one should not be afraid of the transition of this conflict to the active phase.

“The point is not that Washington cannot confront or defeat Tehran. It's just that the Americans are not interested in this right now, because the election race for the presidency is unfolding inside the United States. Now Trump can’t start a war in any way, because he understands that the military conflict with Iran will be protracted and not so simple, based on both financial and human costs. The Iranian side, which perfectly understands the situation in the USA, can now make any statements, because Washington will not begin military operations against Tehran, ”said Irina Fedorova.

The expert in the Middle East, professor at Moscow State University Alexander Vavilov, shares this point of view.

“Trump now does not need to get involved in any conflicts and clashes with the Iranians, since he participates in the election race and wants to stay for a second term as president of the United States. There is another important factor - Israel, because Iran immediately stated that as soon as the Americans take steps using force, after 30 minutes Jerusalem will not be in the world, ”Vavilov recalled in a conversation with RT.

Bad coalition

It is worth noting that Washington has so far failed to assemble a coalition to respond to Iran - Japan and Germany have already officially refused to participate in this event. Warships sent to the strait only Great Britain. The remaining possible participants hesitate to answer.

Military.com reports that there are currently two British warships in the Persian Gulf region - the frigate HMS Montrose and the destroyer HMS Duncan. At the same time, the newspaper notes, Montrose will soon leave the region and return to the UK for a scheduled repair.

Earlier, British media, citing defense sources, reported that the submarine HMS Astute, carrying ballistic and cruise missiles, also entered the region, but this information was not officially confirmed.

Thus, the main force opposing Iran in the region remains the 5th fleet of the US Navy, as well as units stationed at bases in the region, for example, in Qatar.

Analyzing what is happening, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US operations in the Middle East, issued a statement stating that “the United States remains determined to work with its allies and regional partners in order to guarantee freedom of navigation and trade, as well as ensuring the safety of American ships and personnel in the region, ”Business Insider reports.

According to CENTCOM, “in the context of growing tensions in the region, a possible miscalculation or incorrect identification can cause aggressive actions against vessels belonging to the United States, their allies or coalition partners operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.”

However, the process of creating an anti-Iranian sea coalition is not going as fast as the United States would like, Irina Fedorova said.

“Europe verbally supports the creation of a coalition to protect the transportation of oil in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, but only Britain and Israel really supported it, which did not send ships, but said it would share its intelligence with members of the naval coalition. Other countries have not yet joined Washington, ”the expert said.

Coercion and negotiation

Despite attempts to create a coalition to patrol the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing sanctions pressure on Iran, Washington continues to make statements about its readiness for certain negotiations, which the Islamic Republic should agree to.

  • Demonstrators during a rally in Tehran
  • AFP

“The US will continue to strive for a diplomatic option that would solve the problem of destructive behavior of the Iranian regime. The only way to move forward is to develop a comprehensive deal that would cover the whole range of such threats, ”reads Pompeo’s official statement, which he accompanied by the introduction of new sanctions against Tehran.

Recall that in 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan - an agreement that provided for Iran’s refusal to develop nuclear weapons in return for lifting economic sanctions.

Becoming the head of the White House, Donald Trump from the first day called the deal “terrible” and announced that it would terminate, despite the fact that Iran complied with all the conditions. Europe did not agree with Washington’s position - the countries of the Old World continue to trade with Tehran, despite the threat of US sanctions.

US attempts to increase pressure on Iran and project its strength in the region stalled because the States did not calculate their strength, said Alexander Vavilov RT.

“The Americans thought that if they threatened with a baton, then everyone would raise their hands at once. But all the diplomats of the world have worked together for 10 years to develop a nuclear deal - a working plan that has yielded results. If you undermine it, then Europeans will be bad in the first place, because there will be a serious threat to their security. It is important to understand that the modern world is a big village - if the conflict occurs at one end, then it covers the entire village. In this small and narrow world, you need to live together and solve problems together, ”the expert concluded.