Key Points
- Iran unveils footage of underground base housing naval suicide drones
- Facility reportedly contains drone boats, missiles and sea mines
- Display seen as warning to US and allies during escalating conflict
- Maritime experts warn drones could threaten shipping routes
ISLAMABAD: Iran has released footage claiming it possesses a vast arsenal of naval suicide drones stored inside a secret underground military complex known as a “missile city,” signalling its growing maritime strike capabilities amid escalating regional tensions.
The video, aired by Iranian state media, shows long tunnels lined with explosive-laden drone boats, anti-ship missiles and naval mines believed to be operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the New York Post.
The unmanned surface vessels, often described as naval kamikaze drones, are designed to strike ships or coastal targets by detonating on impact. It represents the part of Iran’s asymmetric naval warfare strategy.
Analysts say the footage appears intended to demonstrate Tehran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic, particularly in strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies are transported.
Iran has previously relied on drones and missiles as a core element of its military strategy, using relatively low-cost unmanned systems to challenge technologically superior adversaries.
Military experts say naval suicide drones can be difficult to detect and intercept, especially when launched in swarms alongside missiles or fast attack boats.
The footage also highlights Iran’s expanding underground military infrastructure. Similar “missile cities” — networks of tunnels built into mountains or deep underground — have been revealed in previous years to house drones, ballistic missiles and launch systems designed to survive airstrikes.
Iranian officials say the underground bases are intended to protect strategic weapons and ensure they can be rapidly deployed in the event of conflict.
The release of the footage comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iranian military facilities and Tehran’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks across the region.
Security analysts say the display of underground drone stockpiles is likely aimed at signalling deterrence and demonstrating Iran’s capacity to disrupt maritime trade routes if the conflict escalates further.
