The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Ahmad Vahidi, has warned that the security of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz constitutes a “red line” for Iran.

In a message issued on Thursday to mark IRGC Navy Day, he stated that power from outside the region can threaten, control or interfere in the strategic waterway, The Caspian Post reports, citing IRNA.

Vahidi said the IRGC Navy had compelled an “aggressor fleet” to withdraw from the Persian Gulf by blocking, managing and controlling the Strait of Hormuz.

He described the waterway as “the vital artery of global energy and the strategic red line of Islamic Iran.”

Vahidi said the naval forces under his command had completed their “calendar of honors with courage and martyrdom” during the third American-Zionist imposed war, warning that any threat would receive a decisive response.

He said the IRGC Navy, working closely with the Iranian Army Navy, is equipped with precision-guided missiles, offensive drones, fast attack vessels, electronic warfare capabilities and a coastal defense network. According to Vahidi, the forces are prepared to respond to any “miscalculation” by the enemy involving unauthorized passage through waters under their management.

The IRGC chief said the Navy’s strategy is “clear, principled, and unchangeable,” stressing that safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz means protecting Iran’s national interests, national security and dignity.