Leader’s advisor: Iran remains formidable obstacle to US-Israeli malicious plans in West Asia
Former chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Mohsen Rezaei, has emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran stands as a formidable obstacle to US and Israeli objectives, particularly their attempts to redraw the map of West Asia.
“Trump’s and Netanyahu’s doctrines are essentially the same. This doctrine holds that if they want to impose a new order on the region, Iran must inevitably collapse,” said Rezaei, who serves as a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in an interview with China’s CGTN.
Referring to US-Israeli genocidal actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, Rezaei stressed that Iran’s strong regional presence makes “redrawing the map of West Asia impossible for them.”
He added, “As long as Iran remains standing, none of their desired ‘new orders’ will be realized.”
Rezaei explained that the US-Israeli aggression against Iran serves two main goals: geopolitical and economic.
Geopolitically, he said, “If they can capture Iran, they can reach western China and southern Russia.”
He noted that Israel also seeks to expand its occupation of Arab territories, including southern Syria, southern Lebanon, and parts of Jordan and Iraq.
Economically, the goal is control over the region’s vast oil and gas resources.
“If the US and Israel could capture Iran, they would gain control over all the oil and gas reserves of Iran, the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and the Caucasus,” Rezaei said.
This would allow them to manipulate China, Russia, and the entire global economy.
However, Rezaei declared with confidence: “We have proven that they cannot do this.”
He called for the formation of a strong regional union, similar to the European Union, so that — as the fifth global power alongside China, Russia, Europe, and the United States — the nations of the region can collectively establish global security and peace in a fair and just manner.
On the Strait of Hormuz
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaei affirmed that the strategic waterway will remain closed to the enemy’s military ships but open to commercial vessels, especially those of Tehran’s allies such as China.
“The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is about security and peace in the Persian Gulf. We are serious about exercising our sovereignty and management over it,” he said.
“The Strait is closed to military incursions, insecurity, and exploitation by international powers, but it remains open to trade — especially to our friends who seek nothing more than economic cooperation,” he said.
Following the start of US-Israeli aggression in late February, Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz to its enemies and their allies.
Iranian authorities imposed much stricter controls last month after US President Donald Trump announced a blockade targeting Iranian vessels and ports.
Tehran insists these measures violate the terms of the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that took effect on April 8 and was later extended unilaterally by Washington.
The Islamic Republic has made clear it will not reopen the Strait — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass — unless the illegal blockade is lifted and the war reaches a permanent end.
“We have prepared ourselves to attack and break the blockade if the naval blockade continues beyond a certain period,” Rezaei warned.
“We will force the US to end the naval blockade, either through negotiations, or, if it resists, through direct action.”
Economic outlook and future conflicts
“Despite all the pressures, the future of our economy is bright and promising, while the future of the American economy is bleak,” Rezaei said.
He predicted that the US will fall to second or third place among the world’s economic powers within the next 10 years.
On the ongoing indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, Rezaei stressed that the US has no choice but to negotiate, warning that prolonging the war would push the US into “an endless dark tunnel.”
He highlighted that Iran’s military capabilities surprised the enemy during the June and the recent war, stating: “If the war continues, we will reveal a third dimension. This is due to the inherent flexibility of our war style. These are the fundamental principles and pillars of the IRGC’s military doctrine — a new paradigm in modern military science.”
The US and Israel launched a fresh round of aerial aggression against Iran on February 28, eight months after their initial unprovoked attacks.
Iran responded swiftly with barrages of missile and drone strikes on Israeli-occupied territories and US bases and interests across the region.
On April 8, forty days into the war, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire took effect.
