India, Oct. 24 -- Iran's most senior military commander declared on Friday that US military vessels would never be permitted to re-enter the Persian Gulf, in language that set aside any pretence of diplomatic restraint and challenged US President Donald Trump's claims that the eight-month war has left Iran militarily broken.

Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, said Iran's Armed Forces have rendered the US Navy ineffective, despite Washington's portrayal of the force as a symbol of American power and its use to threaten countries in the region and beyond. "The US president must only dream of their military and army entering the Persian Gulf again," he said.

General Abdollahi reiterated: "Under ...