Navy keeping a close eye on U.S. warships in Persian Gulf: Iranian admiral

TEHRAN,Sept.5(MNA) – The commander of the Iranian Navy said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic is keeping a close watch on the moves of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. “We are controlling all the moves of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf… and we have in no way allowed the United States to enter our territorial waters,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari stated. Sayyari added the Iranian Navy not only can maintain the security of the Strait of Hormuz but also can guarantee the security of the region and does not need other countries to do so. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage through which about 20 percent of the world's oil passes from the Persian Gulf into open seas. On piracy in the Red sea, he said it usually happens off the coast of Somalia which does not have a central government. He went on to say that piracy is actually to the benefit of the U.S. and other Western countries because insurance companies based in the countries increase premiums in the insecure regions.