Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled one of its underground “missile cities” to state media on Wednesday, further inflaming tensions with the West over its nuclear ambitions and expanding missile capabilities. The unveiling, broadcast across Iranian media, featured an unmistakable symbol of Tehran’s hostility toward Israel—an Israeli flag placed on the ground for officials and personnel to trample, a deliberate act of provocation against the Jewish state. Leading the grand display were Iran’s top military brass, including Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The footage showed them touring the undisclosed base in military vehicles, inspecting the vast arsenal of advanced weaponry, and addressing Iranian personnel with defiant rhetoric. During his speech, Bagheri declared that Iran’s military capabilities had surpassed those of its adversaries and would continue to grow at an unprecedented rate. “Iran’s iron fist is far stronger than before,” he proclaimed, adding that Tehran had now developed an arsenal capable of delivering a military response “ten times greater” than Operation True Promise II, the Iranian name for its missile attack on Israel last October. The footage showcased a range of domestically produced missiles, including the Emad, Sejil, Qadr H, Kheibar Shekan, and Haj Qassem, with ranges reaching up to 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles), putting Israel, Gulf nations, and parts of Europe within striking distance. Iranian media reported that the base itself was newly constructed, though this claim remains unverified. The unveiling comes in the wake of Iran’s increasingly aggressive military actions. In April 2024, Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, firing approximately 300 attack drones and missiles in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike near Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, which killed several IRGC members. Despite the scale of the assault, Israel’s air defenses—assisted by the United States and regional allies—successfully intercepted the majority of the incoming threats. Months later, in October, Iran escalated its aggression, launching 200 ballistic missiles at Israel after the targeted assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Again, Israel and its allies intercepted most of the attack, but the confrontation marked a dangerous new chapter in the conflict. In response, Israel twice bombed Iranian territory, targeting air defense installations and missile production facilities, delivering a severe blow to Tehran’s military infrastructure. As Iran flaunts its expanding missile program, international concerns continue to mount over its nuclear ambitions. Tehran has accelerated uranium enrichment to 60 percent purity, a level just short of weapons-grade material, making it the only non-nuclear weapons state in the world to do so. Meanwhile, it has systematically obstructed international inspectors, further deepening suspicions that it is covertly pursuing nuclear arms. Amid these rising tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump recently sent a letter to Tehran offering negotiations for a new nuclear agreement while simultaneously reinstating a sanctions campaign and issuing warnings of potential military action if diplomacy fails. The letter, delivered by UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash on March 12, was met with guarded skepticism in Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi responded Monday, saying that Tehran remains open to indirect negotiations but rejected direct talks with Washington unless the U.S. abandons its “maximum pressure” sanctions strategy. “We will not engage in direct talks so long as the other side continues its threats,” Aragchi declared, making […]