Vienna - Irna
Switzerland’s news circles stressed that the West has already understood the message of the war games currently underway by the Iranian navy in the country’s southern waters. Commenting on the ongoing military drills which mainly concentrate on Hormoz Strait waters, these news circles highlighted that this is the first time Iran is carrying out such an extensive war game in such a vast span of waters which extends to the Gulf of Aden. The “Arcinfo se” news website noted that the strait which connects the Persian Gulf to the Oman Sea is the key passage point for over 40 percent of world’s oil. It said that Iran was examining new arms like new marks of torpedoes and is working on creating more harmony in operation of warships and submarines in confronting threats. The website further pointed out that the Iranian navy is in charge of defending the marine depths while the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps defends the Persian Gulf. It also quoted Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as saying that his warships have escorted about 1300 ships and clashed with pirates in several occasions. He was also quoted as saying that the Iranian navy is in full control of the Hormoz Strait and could block it anytime it received necessary orders. Commenting on the same issue, the Swiss daily newspaper Neuen Zurcher Zeitung wrote that imposing yet more sanctions on Iran will lead to exerting restrictions by Iran on passage of oil tankers through the Hormoz Strait. It said such an act may lead to harsh effects on the international economic situation as well as the oil market.