Tehran inaugurates a new naval base near the Strait of Hormuz

Tehran: The Revolutionary Guard in Iran announced the inauguration of a new naval base that would provide “complete foresight” of the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf after months of regional tension with Washington, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
The base, which was nicknamed “the headquarters of the martyr Syed Majid Rahbar”, is located in the city of Serik in the province of Hormuzgan, east of the Strait of Hormuz and at its gates, through which one fifth of international exports pass of oil.
This maritime corridor and the surrounding waters of the Gulf were the scene of serious tensions last year between Iran and the United States, as it witnessed ships suffering mysterious attacks and there was talk of shooting down drones and threatening navigation in this region.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard, Major General Hussein Salami, announced this Wednesday, according to IRNA, that “the objective of establishing the base is to fully anticipate the entry and exit of maritime vessels from outside the region in the Strait of Hormuz. , the Persian Gulf and the Sea of ​​Oman ”.
He said that al Qaeda is located “in one of the most strategic areas in terms of defense and offense in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.”
He explained that the construction process took six years.
The announcement came a few days after a US aircraft carrier crossed the Strait of Hormuz, and at a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to toughen sanctions against Iran, especially by reactivating UN sanctions.
International powers, especially European ones, rejected this American maneuver, justifying their position that Washington withdrew from the nuclear agreement signed with Iran in 2018.
In June 2019, Tehran shot down a US “Global Hawk” reconnaissance aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz, confirming that it had entered Iranian airspace, which Washington denied.
For its part, Washington accused Tehran of being responsible for the attacks on US oil tankers in the Gulf near Oman, and also for the attacks that targeted Saudi oil sites. Tehran has rejected all the accusations.
Since then, the two sides have almost gotten into direct confrontation on several occasions.
(AFP)