A senior Iranian military adviser said the United States has withdrawn its forces more than 1,000 kilometers from Iran’s borders, describing the pullback as a direct result of Iran’s authority and the power of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force.

Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, a senior advisor to the IRGC commander-in-chief and former Navy commander, made the remarks in a televised interview on Sunday night.

“The Americans fled and moved more than 1,000 kilometers away from our borders. This was not their choice; it was due to the authority of the Islamic Republic and the authority of the IRGC Ground Force,” Fadavi said.

He stressed that for the first time, no American vessels are present in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, or even the northern Indian Ocean.

Fadavi said the Strait of Hormuz has been under Iran’s control for many months and that the United States has failed to achieve any of its objectives in the war.

“The fighters who stood against the world’s material superpowers thwarted all their goals. The enemy—the Great Satan America—has not achieved any of its objectives in this war,” he said.

He noted that ship captains crossing the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz have formally objected to the route but are forced to pass due to insurance, financial, and liability concerns.

The IRGC Navy has warned that any vessel traversing this route could be subject to Iranian naval action.

“The IRGC Navy has informed the ships that if they pass through this route, their vessels may be targeted at any point,” Fadavi said. “The captains have officially stated they are forced to pass and would never choose this route if it were up to them.”

He added that only three to four million barrels of oil per day are currently transiting an alternative route outside the area officially designated by Iran, a negligible amount compared to pre-war traffic.

US vulnerability

Addressing US military capabilities, Fadavi stated that Washington cannot assert sovereignty in the region without a physical naval presence.

“The Americans must use their vessels because you cannot exercise full sovereignty with air power. You can bomb the region every day, but unless your forces have a physical presence, you cannot impose your will,” he said.

He stressed that American vessels are “100 percent vulnerable” to IRGC forces and that past attempts to enter the Strait of Hormuz were met with attacks by the IRGC Navy and Aerospace Force.

 ‘We target US bases, not regional countries’

Fadavi said Iran has never targeted regional countries but has struck US bases hosted on their soil.

“We did not hit Muslim countries. We hit bases that were at the disposal of Iran’s enemy—not just the enemy of Islam, but the enemy of humanity—and were located in regional countries,” he said.

He called on regional states to stand up to the United States, citing Iraq’s insistence on the withdrawal of American forces and the recent US War Department announcement that its troops have left Iraq.

Warning against ground invasion

Asked about a potential US ground invasion, Fadavi said any such move would be met with a response that targets American interests wherever they are.

“Any base belonging to the Americans, any vessel belonging to the Americans, will be targeted by the grace of God,” he said.

He also dismissed US threats, saying Washington has failed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and in its Daesh project, and will fail again.

He noted that the US military budget equals that of the entire world, yet Washington has failed to achieve its objectives due to the direct impact of the conflict on the global and American economies.

Fadavi said Iran and Oman, as the two littoral states of the Strait of Hormuz, have written and agreed upon the rules governing the waterway and are implementing them.

He also highlighted that Iran and Oman, as the sovereign owners of the Strait of Hormuz, have jointly drafted and implemented the governing laws for the waterway, dismissing US attempts to impose its will from 10,000 kilometers away.

“We and Oman are the two parties that own the Strait of Hormuz. We have written the rules, agreed upon them, and are applying them,” he said. “The Americans, with all their material power, have not been able to impose their will.”