TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has had a number of "direct battles" with the U.S. forces in the Gulf, in which nine of its forces have been "martyred," Alireza Tangsiri, the navy commander of the IRGC, announced on Sunday.
Tangsiri said the nine soldiers died to "defend the territory of our beloved country," adding the IRGC has made the United States realize the "sovereignty of the Islamic republic in the maritime arena."
Tangsiri did not mention the time of the clashes or how the nine Iranian soldiers were killed in a "direct battle with the U.S. forces." For some considerations, some of the IRGC's confrontations with the U.S. forces have not been publicized in the media, he added.
The young Iranians should know the importance of the Gulf as Iran has important resources and capacities there, noted Tangsiri.
On Nov. 3, the IRGC said that it had thwarted a U.S. attempt to take over the Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman after a brief confrontation.
