TEHRAN- Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the Commander of the Iranian Navy, has announced that the country's destroyers will be equipped with domestically-made Abu Mahdi cruise missiles.

The missile bears the name of the deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), who was assassinated in a U.S. drone attack near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020 together with senior Iranian counterterrorism commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

The missile is being installed aboard Iranian military vessels, according to Irani.

He said the opponents are aware of the features and have seen the capabilities of the Abu Mahdi naval cruise missile in action. He revealed that once used in electronic warfare systems, the missile can effectively carry out its missions. The admiral said the missile has gone through multiple testing.

The Navy commander stated, "We have placed larger ranges on our agenda. The combat potential, destructive power, and operating range of the Abu Mahdi cruise missile are noteworthy.”

He said that the number of surface-to-surface cruise missiles available to the Iranian Navy had quadrupled, and that for the first time, destroyers from the country will be sent out to sea equipped with eight cruise missiles.

Irani said that the Sahand destroyer has already been loaded with the medium-range surface-to-air missile system Nawab, which was produced locally. The indigenous destroyer has also utilized point-defense weapon systems for spotting and eliminating incoming missiles, as well as hostile aircraft and anti-missile systems.

In addition, he stated that the domestic Damavand destroyer is undergoing final testing and would hopefully join the Navy's fleet on November 28.

The support vessel Shuhada-ye Konarak, he said, has undergone a complete redesign and differs significantly from its forerunner, which was seriously damaged by friendly fire on May 10, 2020, while participating in a naval drill in the Sea of Oman.

The naval commander highlighted, “The new generation of the vessel enjoys advanced and more sophisticated technologies and is going through construction phases. At the same time, various pieces of military equipment are being installed on it. It’s worth mentioning that the vessel can fire cruise naval missiles as well.”

Iranian military specialists and engineers have achieved great advances in manufacturing a wide range of indigenous weaponry in recent years, allowing the armed services to become self-sufficient.

Iranian leaders have frequently emphasized that the nation would never negotiate on its defense capabilities and that it will not hesitate to bolster its military might, particularly its missile capability, which is only intended for defense.

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, has consistently urged efforts to preserve and improve Iran's military capabilities while denouncing foes for casting doubt on the nation's missile program.