TEHRAN: Iran has opened a new naval base east of the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to boost its military control over the strategic Gulf waters, the country’s navy chief was quoted as saying yesterday.
“With the opening of this naval base a new line of defense has been created east of the Strait of Hormuz,” Adm. Habobollah Sayyari was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.
“We can prevent the entry of any enemy naval units into the strategic Persian Gulf area if need be,” he said, adding that the base was located in the port town of Jask on the Sea of Oman.
“The army needed new bases on the Sea of Oman given the presence of forces from outside the region in the waters around Iran,” he added.
An estimated 40 percent of the world’s oil passes through the narrow channel between Iran and Oman.
