Recently, Iranian Tehran Times reported that the Iranian navy is planning to set up a permanent station in Antarctica. According to statements by the naval commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, military and scientific operations are to be carried out.
“It is not only military work. There must be scientific work and our scientists are preparing to implement a joint effort in line with the directives of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei,” the top naval officer added. According to the Rear Admiral, this ambitious plan for the future shows the immense potential of the Iranian navy.
This is the second time that the head of the Iranian navy has issued statements on plans for Antarctica. In May 2023, Irani declared that the navy was planning an expedition to the region. This was supposed to take place in connection with the round-the-world voyage of the 86th flotilla of the Iranian navy, which, according to Iranian statements, was “deployed” in Antarctica. However, the Iranian ships did not get any further south than the Strait of Magellan, which is still quite a distance from Antarctica at around 1,500 kilometers. Apparently none of the ships were ice-strengthened either.
Rear Admiral Irani referred to his recent statements about the Iranian Navy’s plan to establish a permanent base at the South Pole or in Antarctica: “The location of the South Pole is important for several reasons. Militarily, this area is the best location for controlling ballistic missiles, and the enemy also uses this area.” However, there is no basis for this statement.
The admiral also emphasized that the Iranian navy should first send a research team to Antarctica to investigate the conditions there. “To build a base, there are also certain things that need to be taken into account for the construction, and the most important thing is that we need to be in constant contact with this base.”
“Our future plan is to proudly raise the Iranian flag in Antarctica and make joint military and scientific efforts in this region,” Irani said in an interview on IRIB TV1. “It is not just military work. There must be scientific work and our scientists are preparing for the implementation of a joint effort in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenaei,” Irani continues. He added that the Iranian navy would have to build icebreakers to be able to sail in the ice.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal
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