Iran TV shows missile base after paramilitary march against 'threats'

Iran TV shows missile base after paramilitary march against 'threats'
by AFP Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Jan 10, 2025
Iranian state TV on Friday showed the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps touring an underground missile base used in an attack against Israel, hours after fighters marched through Tehran.

The footage of the missile base at an undisclosed location "in the mountains" and the parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers come after the weakening of Iran's allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during wars with Israel.

They also come days before US President-elect Donald Trump is due to take office. During his first term, he oversaw the killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq, and reinstated sanctions on Tehran after pulling out from a landmark nuclear deal.

State TV showed Guards chief Hossein Salami visiting the missile base, which the report said has "dozens" of different types of missiles and was used during Iran's second ever direct attack on regional foe Israel late last year.

The Iranian missile attack on Israel in October was in stated retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region, along with a general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

On Friday, thousands of Basij fighters, which are linked to the Revolutionary Guards, paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran, showing their readiness to face "threats".

Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos moved through the streets. Fighters in combat gear marched on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.

Some dragged coffins decorated with Israeli flags, as flags of Hezbollah flew along with Iranian and Palestinian banners.

A Guards commander, General Mohammadreza Naghdi, singled out Iran's enemies the United States and Israel during the gathering.

The United States, he said, was "behind all the misfortune in the Muslim world".

As for Israel, "if we are able to destroy the Zionist regime and withdraw the American bases in the region, one of our big problems will be resolved," he said.

The Guards' commander for the capital, General Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state television that one aim of the rally was to "support the population of Gaza and Palestine".

Supporting the Palestinian cause has been a pillar of Iranian foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

"We also want to show that the Basij are ready to confront all threats from enemies of the Islamic revolution," Hassanzadeh said.