TEHRAN – Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy commander announced on Sunday that the country is preparing to unveil domestically developed supersonic cruise missiles, integrating artificial intelligence for enhanced targeting capabilities.

The new missiles, expected to be revealed in the upcoming Persian calendar year starting March 20, represents a major leap in Iran’s naval defense capabilities and is poised to strengthen its deterrence posture.

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri revealed these missiles’s capabilities during a special televised program titled Fajr (Dawn) of Hope; Powerful Iran, which aired on the eve of the 46th anniversary of the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. 

He explained that the missiles would enhance Iran’s ability to strike distant targets without needing to rely on coastal positions. "We now have missiles that can be launched from the depths of Iranian territory, eliminating the need for coastal launches," said Tangsiri, adding that this advancement would allow Iran to launch strikes in the Sea of Oman directly from the northern part of the Persian Gulf.

Tangsiri also shared the successful test launch of another cruise missile by the IRGC, which was fired from the southern part of the Iranian Tabas region. The missile accurately hit a target 650 kilometers (403 miles) away in the Sea of Oman, demonstrating the country’s growing precision and missile capabilities.

The commander underscored the strategic significance of Iran’s southern coastline, which stretches 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles). Tangsiri highlighted the joint efforts between the IRGC, the Army’s naval forces, and the Basij volunteer force’s maritime division in fortifying the region. Many critical military assets have been strategically relocated to high-altitude areas in southern Iran’s mountainous terrain, rendering them immune to enemy bunker-busting bombs. "In the southern regions, we have leveraged the natural mountainous terrain to safeguard critical military infrastructure, ensuring that no missile or bomb can inflict damage on our assets," Tangsiri explained.

As part of Iran’s expanding naval presence, the IRGC’s Shahid Mahdavi military vessel—capable of carrying helicopters and missile launchers—has been deployed in Indonesia for joint military exercises alongside an Iranian Army naval fleet. Tangsiri also pointed to the vessel’s successful 39-day mission, which took it near northern Australia and within 500 nautical miles of Diego Garcia, a major U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean.

In addition to these advancements, Tangsiri revealed that Iran’s military-industrial complex has also achieved a significant milestone with the development of its first drone-carrying military vessel. The IRGC Navy repurposed aging commercial ships into state-of-the-art drone carriers, a practice historically undertaken by the U.S., U.K., and other nations. “The first American aircraft carrier was originally a converted merchant ship. The British have done the same with captured German vessels, and recently, the Dutch handed over a commercial ship to the UK for transformation into a warship. Iran has followed a similar approach, successfully developing its first drone carrier,” Tangsiri remarked.

Tangsiri also confirmed the successful adoption of aircraft arrestor technology—once the preserve of the United States. This technology is crucial for slowing down aircraft during routine or emergency landings, further enhancing Iran’s military self-sufficiency.

The commander also emphasized that all of Iran’s new missiles are now AI-powered, equipped with precision-strike capabilities that enable highly accurate targeting. "All of Iran’s latest missiles are AI-driven," Tangsiri noted, underscoring the country's commitment to bolstering its defense technologies and achieving self-reliance in military innovation.