Speaking in a ceremony to commemorate the forces that countered US piracy on Wednesday, the commander gave a detailed explanation on how the IRGC Navy forces seized the tanker and escorted it to Iranian waters.
He said that Iranian units began the operation for seizure and redirecting of the tanker after lengthy intelligence work when the tanker was located 40 miles off Jask island coast in international waters.
Two US warships approached the scene when Iranian forces had descended from helicopter on the deck, he said, adding that US ships drew up in battle array, trying to prevent IRGC mission by flying drones and helicopters.
In the next phase, according to Tangsiri, US forces added three other warships to frighten Iranian forces, but they failed and had to retreat and leave the scene when faced with Iranian forces’ courage.
On the claims made by US sources that their forces were only monitoring the incident, the commander said that this is a big lie.
The released footage has clearly and undeniably outlined the scene, showing that US warships were as intimate as less than 30 meters to Iranian vessels and forces, Tangsiri added.
He said that they could watch the scene from a farther distance or even via planes and drones if they wanted only to monitor.
9416**7129
Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish