TEHRAN: Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guards have unveiled a new naval base aiming to project 鈥渄ominance鈥� over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state media reported, following months of tensions with arch-enemy the United States.
The 鈥淢artyr Seyed Majid Rahbar鈥� base lies in the southern province of Hormozgan, near the entrance to the narrow Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of world oil output passes.
The vital shipping lane and nearby Gulf waters were the scene of heightened US-Iranian tensions late last year when ships were mysteriously attacked, drones downed and oil tankers seized.
鈥淭his base has been built with the purpose of total dominance over the entry and exit of extraterritorial aircraft and naval vessels鈥� at the entrance to the Gulf, Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami said on Wednesday.
鈥淭his location is one of the country鈥檚 most strategic defensive points,鈥� he added, quoted by state TV鈥檚 website.
His remarks come days after a US aircraft carrier passed the waterway to enter the Gulf , amid Washington threats to enforce United Nations sanctions on Iran.
The Guards on Wednesday released on their official Sepah News website drone-captured photos reportedly showing the USS Nimitz.
In June last year, Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone over the strait after it allegedly violated the Islamic Republic鈥檚 airspace, a claim the US has denied.
The enemies have twice come to the brink of direct confrontation since then.
Washington has blamed Tehran for last year鈥檚 mysterious attacks against oil tankers in the nearby Gulf of Oman as well as an attack on Saudi oil facilities, with Iran denying all charges.