This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on March 15 inaugurated a new underground facility designated for missile storage, state television reported.
The report quotes General Hossein Salami, the IRGC commander, as saying that cruise and ballistic missiles will empower the paramilitary force’s navy even more.
The TV report showed footage of scores of missiles but it did not say where the facility is located nor how many missiles are stored there.
Since 2011, Tehran has claimed it has underground facilities across the country as well as along the southern coast near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran says its missiles have a 2,000-kilometer range, placing much of the Middle East, including Israel, within striking distance.
The United States and its Western allies regard Iran’s missile program as a threat, along with the country’s nuclear program.
In July 2020, the IRGC launched underground ballistic missiles as part of an exercise involving a dummy U.S. aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting its network of subterranean missile sites.
