TEHRAN- The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has said that the force has equipped two different types of its warships with a brand-new cruise missile with a 2,000-kilometer range.

Speaking with Tasnim on Saturday, Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said that the domestic cruise missile “Qadr-474” can reach targets within a range of 2,000 kilometers.

He mentioned that the Mahdavi and Soleimani-class ships are outfitted with the new long-range cruise missile.

Based on his marks, the sophisticated Soleimani warship, named after Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, has been furnished with missiles with ranges of 200, 300, 750, and 2,000 kilometers.

He also stated that the IRGC Navy will use a new coast-to-sea cruise missile named after Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

“The Abu Mahdi missile and two other cruise missiles with 750-km and 2,000-km ranges are smart, can be guided and go after a new target before explosion, and can be launched even from regions deep in the land and behind the mountains to hit naval targets,” he remarked. 

The commander said that four Soleimani-class ships will be unveiled by the IRGC Navy during the current Iranian year, which ends on March 20, 2024.

He mentioned that the vessels are named after martyrs Sayyad Shirazi, Hassan Baqeri, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and Rais-Ali Delvari.

Tangsiri went on to add, “The new military catamarans can travel at a speed of 45 knots and are furnished with 300-km and 750-km missiles.”

“IRGC Navy fully prepared, has grip on Persian Gulf”

The commander of the IRGC Navy also said that his troops are at their maximum level of readiness at the moment and completely control the air, surface, and subsurface areas of the Persian Gulf.

Tangsiri told reporters in the southern Iranian port city of Bushehr on Friday that the IRGC Navy is constantly monitoring the enemy’s vessel movements in the Persian Gulf.

He continued by saying that the Persian Gulf’s critical waterway is completely secure.

He stressed that Iran domestically designs and produces sophisticated military equipment, noting, “The Navy and Ground Forces of the IRGC and Army, as well as the IRGC Aerospace Division, have made great progress.”

“The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s preparedness level is increasing day by day with such equipment and capable forces,” he added.

The Arvand River, which straddles the border between Iran and Iraq, and the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean, are the two boundaries of the Persian Gulf, which is around 251,000 square kilometers in size.

The important inland sea connects West Asia to Africa, India, and China via an international trade route.

This month, a senior IRGC commander also underlined that because Iran and its neighbors are working together to secure the security of the vital waterway, there is no need for extra-regional forces to protect the Persian Gulf.