Iran Navy Chief Asserts Destroying US Navy Remains Top Priority

Iranian navy chief Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi has asserted that destroying the US navy remains one of the top operational goals of the Tehran forces.

Fadavi, in unusually aggressive remarks, has said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been routinely conducting drills on how to sink US vessels in the region.

"Conducting trainings, exercises and drills to get prepared for operational goals is always on our agenda and Americans and all the world know that one of the operational goals of the IRGC Navy is destruction of the US naval force," the naval commander told Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency (FNA).

Fadavi added that the Iranian navy has the potential to sink US vessels in less than a minute if a combat breaks out between the two countries.

Noting that US aerial combat operations in the region are dependent on aircraft carriers, Fadavi said: "Hence, that is a natural thing that we want to sink these vessels."

"They [Americans] know nothing. We have been making and sinking replicas of US destroyers, frigates and warships for long years, and we have sunk the replica of their vessels in 50 seconds through a series of operational measures."

"We practice the same drills on replica aircraft carriers because sinking and destroying US warships has, is and will be on our agenda."

The IRGC Navy is in charge of securing Iran's interests in the Persian Gulf while Iranian Army's naval force is largely responsible for the Caspian Sea and the Sea of Oman.

The navy chief's remarks came at a time when verbal tirades between the countries had come down as Iran's relationship with the western world improved following several rounds of nuclear talks.