Description: The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Chief, General Hossein Salami, was shown on national state television as he disclosed Iran’s latest underground naval base, somewhere in the Gulf. The base would reportedly be home to vessels capable of launching long – range missile strikes that specialized in distance warfare. The disclosure comes in light of Trump’s appointment as US President in fear of further sanctions and authorized military strikes from Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Impact: Iran’s evident military buildup could both be considered as a deterrence mechanism against mounting future tensions with Israel but also as operational consolidation in the Middle East. With the Gaza ceasefire in effect, Iran wouldn’t risk any operational action in the region not to provoke a continued military response from Israel. The consolidation of their ranks and the recently signed cooperation agreement with Russia indicates on heightened tensions in the Middle East on the mid to long term.