Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri made the remarks on Monday, on the eve of the 73rd anniversary of the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry, Press TV reported.

“Today, if they (the foreigners) steal our oil and seize our tankers anywhere in the world, we will retaliate,” he said.

“’Gone are the days  for the foreigners to boast about the looting of the property of the noble people of Iran.”

The UK plundered the Iranian oil and resources for many years, Tangsisir added. Today, however, the country’s youth are standing proudly against global arrogance.

On March 20, 1951, members of the Iranian parliament passed a bill introduced by the democratically-elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq to nationalize the oil industry.

Mosaddeq’s decision was backed by his nationalist party as well as religious figures led by prominent cleric Ayatollah Abolghassem Kashani.

The initiative put an end to Britain’s four-decade rule over Iran’s oil industry. The Britain-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) enjoyed monopolistic control over the industry and used to pay only a small share of the revenues to the Iranian government.

DID