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Thursday 6 November 2008

Iran naval savoir-faire ‘at its zenith’

A top Iranian naval commander says any illegal entry into the territorial waters of the country would be met with ’severe reprimand’.

Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Wednesday that Tehran has achieved considerable breakthroughs in naval research and technology.

“Today the Iranian Navy has the necessary skill and proficiency to maintain the sovereignty and integrity of the country’s coastal waters,” said Sayyari.

“Following calls by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Iran has successfully manufactured stealth military hardware and has lavished the Navy with groundbreaking equipment,” he continued.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Saturday called for the production of military hardware exclusive to Iran, asserting that in order to counter a possible attack, Tehran should employ weapons unfamiliar to aggressors.

“Iranian naval forces are poised to counter any threats arriving from sea lanes in the region,” added the Iranian Navy commander.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar announced on Tuesday that Iranian military experts had produced new stealth micro submarines, vessels, and lightweight aircraft to boost the country’s awareness and vigilance.

The Islamic Republic has taken steps to improve its defense capabilities and has announced the development of 109 pieces of innovative military equipment over the past two years.

The remarks by the naval official come as Israel is intensifying war preparations and lobbying world powers for anti-Iran sanctions as well as the receipt of aggressive weapons.

According to a late September report by The Guardian, Tel Aviv had long been serious about launching airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities but failed to receive the green light from President George W. Bush in May.

Pentagon officials revealed in mid June, however, that Israeli warplanes had taken to the skies in the first week of June in what was later cited to be a ‘dress rehearsal’ for an attack on Iran.

The Israeli Air Force employed over a hundred F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, tactical bombers in the maneuver held 900 miles west of Israel off the southern Mediterranean island of Crete, roughly covering the distance from Israeli airfields to an Iranian uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.
A GBU-39 bunker buster peneterating through reinforced concrete
The US then revealed that it would equip Israel with advanced weapons, including a powerful missile radar system.

In September, the US Defense Department also agreed to equip Tel Aviv with the Guided Bomb Unit-39 (GBU-39), a form of ‘bunker-buster’ bomb, designed to penetrate fortified constructions deep underground - such as Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Tel Aviv and its staunch ally, the US, have also vocally threatened to attack Iran, claiming that Tehran’s nuclear program poses an existential threat to Israel.

Press TV