Iran’s Revolutionary Guard carries on with its story of having snatched an oil tanker from the hands of the US Navy in the Sea of Oman, denied by Washington.

As Iran freed a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker on Tuesday that it claimed to have seized when the US Navy tried to impound Iran’s oil, the chief commander of the IRGC spoke at a ceremony in his military headquarters.

General Hossein Salami praised those who created a “legend” by confronting the US Navy and called it an “honorable battle” that would “remain in the history of Islam”. He said that the victory allows Iran to belittle the “terrorist regime” of the United States and its “waning empire”.

After Iran claimed it had driven off the US Navy, the Biden Administration last week denied such any confrontation, saying that its vessels witnessed Iranian forces seizing a Vietnamese-flagged tanker in the Sea of Oman in October but did not intervene. Vietnam later confirmed its tanker was being held in Iranian waters.

But the IRGC has stuck to its story that it won an important victory against the US Navy, although no shots were fired.

Tensions remain high in the region as the future of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers remains uncertain. Iran has hardened its position for the upcoming resumption of negotiation at the end of November.