Iran’s IRGC units involved in piracy, seizing UK oil tanker
| UK oil tanker seized by the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) |
Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, July 30, 2019 - An exclusive Iranian opposition report unveils the units of Iran’s regime involved in seizing a British oil tanker, according to Egypt’s al-Bayan daily on July 29. Subterranean facilities in Qeshm Island were also revealed and it is worth noting that Tehran uses the coasts of this island to store sea missiles.
Seizing the United Kingdom oil tanker was a political decision made by the regime ruling Iran, according to a report obtained by Majid Hariri, a member of the Defense and Strategic Research Committee in the Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Three days before the British oil tanker’s seizure, Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had specifically promised retaliatory measures in response to the seizing of Iran’s “Grace 1” supertanker in the waters of Gibraltar. Following Iran’s measures, Majlis (parliament) speaker Ali Larijani specifically said the UK ship was seized in retaliation of the Grace 1 seizure.
“Khamenei ordered the commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) to attack and seize the Stena Impero tanker. As a result, the ship was seized according to orders issued by IRGC chief Hossein Salami and under the command of Deputy IRGC chief Brig. Gen. Ali Fadavi and IRGC navy chief Brig. Gen. Alireza Tangsiri.
“This operation was carried out by the 112th Zolfaqar naval brigade in Qeshm, southern Iran. This unit is stationed in the IRGC Navy’s first district and units from a special commando unit known as the ‘Aba Abdullah’ brigade,” the report adds.
“The IRGC Navy’s first district command center is located in the city of Bandar Abbas and the Bahonar pier. The current commander of this first district is Vice Admiral Ali Ozmaee and his deputy is Rear Admira (Upper Half) l Ali Gholamshahi. The area of this naval district stretches from Bandar Sirik to the western border of Qeshm Island. Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Mehdi Hashemi is the commander of the 112th Zolfaqar naval brigade.
“The main mission of this unit is to control all oil tanker commuting through Strait of Hormuz. The main headquarters of the 112th Zolfaqar naval brigade is in an IRGC base located in the Mosen region of Qeshm Island with piers exclusively allocated to the IRGC. This brigade has another site located five kilometers from Qeshm (with another exclusive pier) and another site in the Bahman pier located on the east side of Qeshm Island. The fourth site of this brigade is on Laft Port on the north side of Qeshm Island, (with yet another exclusive IRGC pier).”
This report reiterates the fact that the IRGC navy has built subterranean facilities inside Qeshm Island and its coastlines to store sea missiles. This island is also used to store cruise sea missiles meant for transfer to foreign countries such as Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.
The abovementioned report has revealed that Aba Abdullah commando brigade is stationed on Farur Island – controlled completely by the IRGC – and its units were seen boarding the Stena Impero oil tanker. This brigade is also involved in providing naval commando training to IRGC-linked terrorists from Yemen, Bahrain and …
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