Tehran: An Iranian naval commander has said his forces are willing to carry out suicide missions when facing enemy forces in the Gulf, Iran's Fars News Agency reported.
"If necessary, we will use the element of martyrdom-seeking," General Ali Fadavi was quoted as saying.
His comments came amid increasing tension with the United States, which announced it was imposing stiff sanctions against Iran for its nuclear work and rebel support in Iraq.
Fadavi said volunteers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy want to follow Hossein Fahmideh, a 13-year-old suicide bomber during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
"The Basiji (volunteer) forces, by following the steps of the martyr Fahmideh ... have always been martyrdom-seeking and willing to give their lives before God," Fadavi said.
Fadavi said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is working to upgrade the combat abilities of the volunteer forces in the navy.
