Iran Unveils New Missile-equipped Ships

According to the Tasnim news agency, the naval forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard have unveiled new ships equipped with missiles that have a range of up to 600 kilometers amid escalating tensions with the United States in the Gulf. The agency did not provide details about the missiles but quoted the commander of the naval forces in the Revolutionary Guard, Ali Reza Tangsiri, mentioning the need to defend the islands. Tangsiri stated, "The islands in the Persian Gulf are part of Iran's honor and we will defend them. The countries in the region should be responsible for the security of the Gulf." He emphasized that "the Persian Gulf belongs to all the countries in the region, and those countries should act wisely and prevent themselves from falling into conspiracies and contentious plans set by countries outside the region." Last month, the United States sent additional F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, along with a warship, to the Middle East in an effort to monitor the main waterways in the area after Iran detained several commercial shipping vessels in recent months.