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Iranian fighter plane
Photo: IMAGO/Iranian Army Office/ IMAGO/ZUMA Wire
According to state media, the Iranian army unveiled its first underground base for fighter jets on Tuesday.
The military base "Oghab 44" ("eagle" in Persian) could house "all types of fighter jets and bombers" as well as drones, the state news agency Irna reported.
The exact location has not been revealed, but the base is reportedly "several hundred meters below the mountains" and is capable of withstanding US attacks.
Iranian media published photos and videos from the base, showing high-ranking military figures such as Chief of Staff Mohammed Bagheri.
"Oghab 44" is "one of numerous tactical underground bases for the army's air force that have been set up in various areas of the country in recent years," Irna reported.
The base was unveiled a day before "Iranian Air Force Day" and a few days before the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on Saturday.
In May 2022, Iran first showed images of a drone base in the Sagros Mountains in the west of the country.
Iran has mostly Soviet-era Russian Mig and Sukhoi fighter jets, as well as some Chinese planes.
The Iranian fleet also includes some US F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, which date back to before the revolution in Iran.
West alarmed about Fordo nuclear power plant
In the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, the West has meanwhile urged the regime in Tehran to comply with its security obligations.
At the same time, a few days ago Germany, France, Great Britain and the USA criticized the violation of the agreements at the Fordo nuclear power plant, which was recently reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Tehran must cooperate "fully" with the IAEA and enable transparency, it said in a joint statement.
According to state media, Tehran sharply criticized IAEA boss Rafael Grossi on Saturday, whose behavior was "unprofessional and unacceptable".
The IAEA said in a recent report that Iran had significantly changed the configuration of some centrifuges at the Fordow plant, 180 kilometers south of Tehran.
The IAEA noticed this during an unannounced inspection in Fordow.
The Atomic Energy Agency was not informed of these changes in advance, but this would have been necessary according to international agreements.
The affected centrifuges can produce up to 60 percent enriched uranium.
dop/AFP
