Iran builds new naval unit to act independently from central command

Iran has built up a new naval military unit in Bandar Lengeh in the Gulf to act independently if communication with the leadership in Tehran is cut, Al Arabiya TV reported on Sunday.

The new Fifth Marine Corps will be headed by General Mohamed Ali Jaafari and will be equipped with speed boats used to attack warships and advanced warships as well as surface-to-water, water- to-water, and water-to-air missile systems, according to FARS news agency.

The county of Bandar Lengeh, which includes the occupied UAE island of Abu Musa, is located on the east coast of the Arabian Gulf, east of the city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of the Hormozgan Province, in which Arab tribes had settled a long time before the advent of Islam.

The marine force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has a total of four Marine Corps units in the provinces of Hormozgan and Bushehr on the Gulf.

The new corps is expected to enhance the capability of Iranian naval forces in the area to respond independently to any military attack in case communication with the central leaderships in Tehran and Gulf bases is cut.