Iranian state TV has released footage from a complex underground facility, which Iranian authorities are calling ‘missile city’.
The Iranian military announced that it now has a large stockpile of suicide drone boats, which are now being deployed to restrict the movement of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The released video shows long tunnel-like passages lined with naval drones, anti-ship missiles, and sea mines. The footage also shows scenes of some weapons being launched, but it is not clear when the recording was made or whether there have been subsequent American or Israeli attacks on the location.
One image shows a tunnel containing a naval drone mounted on a trailer beneath a portrait of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
These naval drones, also known as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), have already targeted two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. These small boats operate on or near the water’s surface and are loaded with explosives that detonate upon impact.
On March 1, a crude oil tanker registered in the Marshall Islands was targeted 44 nautical miles off the coast of Oman. According to the British Maritime Trade Operation, a USV targeted the ship’s surface, causing an explosion and fire in the engine room. One crew member was killed in the attack.
A few days later, the Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe was targeted while anchored near the Iraqi port of Khor al-Zubair. The operator, Sonangol Marine Services, said that the 23-member crew was unharmed in the attack, but gave no details about the attacked vessel as the investigation was ongoing.
Videos circulating online show a small speedboat heading towards the tanker, hitting the side of the ship and causing a large explosion that sends up a lot of smoke.
According to maritime officials, at least two oil tankers have been attacked by USVs during the current Iran-US-Israel tensions.
Iran has also threatened to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of global oil shipments.
Iranian officials said the world should prepare for oil prices to reach $200 a barrel, as Iranian forces have nearly blocked movement through the Strait of Hormuz by attacking commercial ships.