Iran to soon oust U.S. aircraft carriers from region: navy commander

TEHRAN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian military commander said on Monday Iran will soon expel U.S. aircraft carriers from the region as "they have come to incite sedition," according to the official news agency IRNA.

At a national conference in the capital Tehran, Commander of the Iranian Navy Shahram Irani slammed transregional states' military presence, including the recent deployment of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the region.

"Everybody said the (U.S.) aircraft carrier has come to the region to change the equations. But they have come to incite sedition and meet their needs. We will soon expel them from the region. We will no longer be pressured and can exercise influence," said Irani.

The U.S. military has deployed two aircraft carriers, namely the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, to the Middle East with the goal to, as claimed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, "ensure the (Hamas-Israel) conflict does not expand throughout the region."

Iranian officials have repeatedly said regional countries can ensure the region's security without foreigners' interference.