Iran on Saturday presented a newly built underground naval missile base in the Gulf, two days before the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. The unveiling of the secret facility comes amid heightened concerns about potential military escalation and growing tensions with the United States.
General Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guards, appeared on state television live after visiting the site as part of military drills, confirming that the base was one of a few the regime had built underground. Salami explained that the base was intended for vessels that will house long-range missiles used for distant warfare, giving Iran a tremendous strategic advantage. “We assure the great nation of Iran that their young people are capable of emerging victorious from a battle on the seas,” he declared.
State TV also released footage of the location, which is said to be 500 meters beneath the Gulf. The long tunnels had rows of radar-evading speedboats ready to launch cruise missiles. The new Taregh-class speedboat is described to be designed to avoid the enemy’s sensor array while it executes its missile attacks.
The announcement comes as part of military maneuvers that Iran initiated earlier this month, which will last for two months. So far, it has conducted drills simulating a defense of vital sites, like the Natanz nuclear facility, against missile and drone attacks.
Iran’s military claims its ballistic missile capacity acts as an essential deterrent against the United States and Israel, and the unveiling of the underground base shows the rising role of missile defense in Iran’s strategy. Iran has shown such missile facilities before, dubbed “missile cities,” in a display of its defense position.
This latest development raises the anxiety in Washington, particularly with the policy of President Trump’s “maximum pressure,” aimed at intensifying sanctions against Iran.
