Iran unveils underground naval base as it seeks to counter Israeli threat

Iran has unveiled an underground naval basal susceptible of taking connected "enemies large and small".

Footage broadcast connected authorities TV shows a ample fig of speedboats lined up successful what appears to beryllium an underground tunnel.

It is reportedly portion of a "secret" basal built astatine a extent of 500m astatine an undisclosed determination successful the Gulf.

State TV showed Revolutionary Guards main General Hossein Salami visiting the basal with naval limb commandant Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri.

It comes arsenic Iranian leaders fearfulness US president-elect Donald Trump, who volition instrumentality implicit from Joe Biden pursuing his inauguration in Washington aboriginal today, mightiness empower Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to onslaught Iran's atomic sites.

In the footage, Gen Salami said the basal was 1 of respective built underground for vessels susceptible of launching long-range missiles and carrying retired distant warfare.

"We guarantee the large federation of Iran that their young radical are susceptible of coming retired honourable and victorious from a conflict connected the seas against enemies large and small," helium said.

State TV showed tunnels with agelong rows of what it said were a caller mentation of Taregh-class radar-evading speedboats which tin motorboat cruise missiles.

It besides broadcast footage of the speedboats firing rockets astatine targets astatine sea.

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"The monolithic magnitude (of equipment) we saw contiguous is simply a tiny information of the powerfulness of the revolutionary guard's naval force, developed implicit the past years," Gen Salami said.

Iran has precocious carried retired subject drills amid speculation of an onslaught by Israel, with the defender holding 2 aerial defence drills adjacent cardinal atomic facilities successful Natanz and Fordo.

Israel and Iran person traded strikes since the Hamas attacks connected 7 October 2023, with neither broadside appearing to privation a full-scale conflict.

The past twelvemonth has seen Iranian proxy forces including successful Gaza (Hamas), Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Yemen (Houthi rebels) onslaught Israeli and different Western assets successful the portion arsenic portion of the alleged Axis of Resistance successful retaliation for the concern successful Gaza - where, according to section authorities, much than 46,000 radical are reported to person been killed successful Israel's 15-month subject campaign.