Iran Opens Naval Base at Hormuz Strait to Defend Persian Gulf, Chief Says

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Iran opened a naval base on the Strait of Hormuz that's capable of keeping foreign forces out of the Persian Gulf, the chief of the Iranian navy said.

``With this naval base, a new line of defense was created in the Persian Gulf,'' Admiral Habibollah Sayyari was cited today as saying by state-run Fars News. ``If necessary, we can prevent any enemy from entering the Persian Gulf's strategic area.''

The naval chief said the facility, which was inaugurated yesterday, is needed because of the presence of foreign forces in the region. The base in the southern port of Jask, 1,050 miles (1,690 kilometers) south of Tehran, is in the eastern part of the strait at the entrance to the Gulf.

--SNIP
``The powerful presence of the naval forces in the Persian Gulf and the combination of the Revolutionary Guards and armed forces have turned on its head the predictions of enemies,'' said the army deputy commander, General Abdolrahim Mousavi, according to a report on the state-run Iranian Students News Agency today.

``The time for bullying, unilateralism and aggression has ended,'' Mousavi said while visiting the Jask naval base. ``The sooner enemies realize this, the better for them. Otherwise, they will have to pay heavy costs.''

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ag6ir3Sw5Wk0&refer=home

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Wow! We better do something about this display of naked aggression !

Imagine, the nerve of them opening a naval base in their own country to control access of their own territorial waters!

You realize, this means WAR!

[TomInTib]

2. Is this an announcement or is the base operable?

The article doesn't really say.

If this is simply a statement of intent, the Iranians are years away from actually operating a viable base.