IRGC Unveils 'Second Missile City'

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced the unveiling of its 'second missile city' for the Aerospace Force. According to the IRGC, these missile bases are constructed 500 meters underground. The unveiling took place on Tuesday, January 5, in the presence of Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. This 'missile city' features a tunnel similar to one that the IRGC announced in October, stating that it would allow photography for the first time. In a video released from Larijani's visit to this underground base, various missiles, including the Emad ballistic missile with a range of 1,700 kilometers, were showcased as the latest ballistic missile in Iran's arsenal. The unveiling of this 'new missile project' comes at a time when tensions in Iran's relations with Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, have escalated following the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, previously stated that Iran's long-range missile bases are '500 meters deep under high mountains' and 'ready to counter threats from enemies' across all provinces and cities. He added, 'These missiles are mounted on launchers and ready to fire, just waiting for the command of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.' Following him, Hassan Karimpour, a senior advisor to Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, the IRGC's overseas branch, reported the existence of '14 underground depots at depths of 30 to 500 meters' across various locations in Iran to store missile systems, claiming these bases are safe from enemy detection and will be used if necessary. Karimpour explained that 'if a missile is fired at Iran from any country, these centers will automatically bombard all important locations of the attacking country.' In this context, the IRGC denied reports of 'test missile launches' in the Persian Gulf, labeling them as 'psychological operations.'