Iran on Monday unveiled underground silos that can carry missiles capable of hitting Israel and US bases in the Persian Gulf as it began 10 days of war games, the country’s latest show of military force amid a standoff with the West over its disputed nuclear program.
State TV broadcast footage of deep underground silos, claiming that medium and long-range missiles stored in them are ready to launch in case of an attack on Iran. The silos are widely viewed as a strategic asset for Iran in the event of a US or Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities.
Iranian Colonel Asghar Qelichkhani, a spokesman for the war games, said the silos “function as a swift-reaction unit.”
“Missiles, which are permanently in the vertical position, are ready to hit the predetermined targets,” he was quoted as saying by state TV.
An officer in Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, which is in charge of the missile program, said Tehran has constructed “numerous” underground missile silos which satellites cannot detect. He did not elaborate.
The state television report broadcast footage of underground launching pads for the Shahab-3 missile, which have a range of more than 2,000km — putting Israel, US bases in the Persian Gulf region and parts of southeastern and eastern Europe within reach.
The report also showed pictures of missiles being fired from one silo after a large metal roof opened to allow the missile to launch. The TV report said the missile silos are linked to a missile control center.
Iranian Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, touted the silos as a crucial asset in its standoff with the West, saying that with “these facilities we are certain that we can confront unequal enemies and defend the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Another unidentified Guards officer told state TV that “only few countries in the world possess the technology to construct underground missile silos. The technology required for that is no less complicated than building the missile itself.”
Qelichkhani said the silos are based on local technology developed by Iranian experts.
The Iranian war games, which began on Monday, are dubbed “The Great Prophet Six” and include tests of long-range missiles such as the Sajjil, which boasts a range similar to that of the Shahab-3.
Iran conducts several war games every year, as part of its military self-sufficiency program that started in 1992, and frequently unveils new weapons and military systems during the drills.
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