Tehran, AXIS OF RESISTANCE – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy’s successful capture of a United States unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in the Strait of Hormuz marks a monumental shift in the regional balance of power, signalling the dawn of a “new and possibly final phase” of the war against American imperialism.
Prominent Iranian academic and political analyst Dr Mohammad Marandi outlined this strategic paradigm shift during an interview on Al Mayadeen’s The Grand Standoff, emphasising that Tehran’s growing military and electronic warfare sophistication is forcing Washington to confront capabilities it has fatally underestimated.
A Major Blow to US Technological Arrogance
The IRGC Navy announced earlier this week that its forces seized the advanced US underwater drone at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz in a highly complex dawn operation. According to Marandi, the fact that the vessel was captured entirely intact is a devastating blow to the myth of American technological superiority.
“The very fact that the Iranians were able to capture it intact shows that US technology is not as good as it is presented to us as being,” Marandi stressed. He noted that Washington was desperately attempting to spy on subsurface activities in the vital waterway, only to have its surveillance thwarted and its equipment hijacked.
Crucially, Marandi pointed out that the captured US technology will not only accelerate Iran’s own underwater and electronic warfare programs but will also be shared with strategic global partners like China and Russia, further exposing the vulnerabilities of the US military-industrial complex.
Drawing parallels to the Islamic Republic’s earlier successes in electronically hijacking US drones during the American occupation of Afghanistan, Marandi noted that this latest seizure will serve as a powerful catalyst for Iran’s indigenous defense industry.
The Final Phase: Sinking US Warships
The capture of the UUV has reportedly enraged Washington, leading to aggressive posturing. However, Marandi warned that any further US escalation will be met with devastating consequences. He revealed that Iran has deliberately held back from sinking US naval vessels in previous encounters, choosing instead to strike fear into the enemy and force them to retreat.
If the conflict escalates further, that restraint will vanish. “Iran will sink those ships,” Marandi stated unequivocally, warning that the US military’s arrogance stems from a profound ignorance of Tehran’s true missile and electronic warfare capabilities.
“We are moving towards a major escalation, and we are moving into a new phase of the war and possibly the final phase,” Marandi emphasised. He compared the US military’s current position to a man trapped in quicksand: “The more the Trump regime struggles, the more it sinks, and the more it sinks, the more desperate it becomes.”
The End of the American Foothold
According to Marandi, the overarching strategic objective of the Axis of Resistance—the permanent expulsion of US occupation forces from West Asia—is now closer than ever. He declared that Washington is rapidly losing its grip on the region and that its military presence is no longer sustainable.
Iran is determined to inflict such a catastrophic cost on the United States and its regional proxies that no future American president will ever dare to threaten Tehran again. This permanent expulsion of US forces will naturally weaken the Zionist entity, which relies entirely on American military backing, while bringing immense benefits to Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and the broader region.
Marandi also delivered a stern warning to US-aligned Arab regimes in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. He cautioned that these unpopular governments are economically vulnerable and politically isolated; their complicity in Washington’s and Tel Aviv’s crimes against Gaza and Lebanon has placed them on a collision course with their own populations, threatening a catastrophic regional economic crash.
Ultimate Warning to Netanyahu
Reaffirming Iran’s uncompromising stance, Marandi insisted that any diplomatic agreements must be fully honoured, including the immediate cessation of Zionist death and destruction in Gaza and Lebanon.
He concluded with a dire warning directed at the Zionist regime’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing recent statements from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council: “Sooner or later, Iran will send Netanyahu to hell.” As the US Empire sinks deeper into its own quicksand, the Axis of Resistance stands resolute and ready to deliver the final blows to American hegemony and Zionist occupation in West Asia.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen