The Iranian nuclear deal is stalled
Fox News correspondent Amy Kellogg interviews a former State Department official and adviser to the Iranian nuclear negotiating team on the latest news regarding the JCPOA.
Iran on Tuesday officially unveiled the first-of-its-kind underground airbase dubbed “Eagle 44,” capable of accommodating fighter jets and long-range cruise missiles, Iranian news outlet IRNA first reported.
The opening ceremony was reportedly attended by Iran’s top military commanders, including Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Army Commander Major General Abrolrahim Mousavi.
Iranian officials have not only advocated how the airbase will better enable its military to conduct various operations, but have taken an aggressive tone when it comes to its main adversary, Israel.
Iranian Army Chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi and Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri visit the first underground air base, called “Eagle 44” at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this image obtained on February 7, 2023 . (Iranian Army/West Asia News Agency/Distribution via REUTERS)
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“Any attack on Iran by our enemies, including Israel, will be met by our many air bases including Eagle 44,” Bagheri told state TV, Reuters reported.
The comments come as tension between Iran and Israel continues to rise, particularly after the election of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to be tough on Iran since the election campaign.
Though an Iranian defense expert told Fox News Digital that the base’s latest revelation “represents a continuation of a trend we’ve seen in the Islamic Republic’s security policy for some time now.”
“The regime understands that long-range strike assets, especially drones and missiles, are its most significant deterrent weapon,” explained Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior member of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “He understands the threat these weapons pose to Iran’s neighbors.”
Israel and Iran have long been engaged in a proxy war in Syria and covert operations across the Middle East, a shadow war that Jerusalem has dubbed “the war between the wars.”
A fighter jet is seen at the first underground airbase, dubbed “Eagle 44” at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this image obtained on Feb. 7, 2023. (Iranian Army/West Asia News Agency/Distribution via REUTERS)
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Within weeks of the start of the new administration, Iran accused Israel of hitting a military factory in a drone strike, although it has provided no evidence to back up its allegations. Israel has not commented on the attack.
Tehran has also relied on the hyperbole and potential risk its defense space poses as Iran continues to develop its nuclear capabilities and expand its stockpiles of missiles.
Iran has previously revealed similar underground bases used to house missiles and drones, as well as its ability to launch ballistic missiles from underground.
Ben Taleblu said Tehran “understands that without hardening them, dispersing them and transforming them into a more survivable force, it will not be able to keep these weapons.”
Iranian Army Chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi and Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri visit the first underground air base, called “Eagle 44” at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this image obtained on February 7, 2023 . (Iranian Army/West Asia News Agency/Distribution via REUTERS)
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Iran’s most recent underground base also points to Tehran’s strategy shift towards defense following the collapse of the nuclear weapons deal after the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018, along with the related five-year gun transfer ban expired in 2020.
“The regime is trying to get hold of some more advanced conventional systems and this base could create the space for that,” explained Ben Taleblu.
