Iran reveals an ‘underground air force base’

Iran reveals an ‘underground air force base’. Iran on Tuesday revealed an underground air force base, called “Eagle 44” and the first of its kind large enough to house fighter jets, the official IRNA news agency said.

The “Eagle 44” base is capable of storing and operating fighter jets and drones, IRNA said. The report did not elaborate on the location of the base.

IRNA said it was one of the country’s most important air force bases, built deep underground, housing fighters equipped with long-range cruise missiles.

In May, Iran’s army gave details about another underground base, which houses drones, as the country seeks to protect military assets from potential air strikes by regional arch-foe Israel.

“Any attack on Iran from our enemies, including Israel, will see a response from our many air force bases including Eagle 44,” Iran’s armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri told state TV.

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Britain will officially declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which has arrested seven people with links to the United Kingdom over anti-government protests, as a terrorist group, the Telegraph reported on Monday, citing sources.

The move, which will be announced within weeks, is supported by Britain’s security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the report said.

Proscribing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group would mean that it would become a criminal offence to belong to the group, attend its meetings, and carry its logo in public.

The UK Home Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Telegraph report.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards last week arrested seven people with links to Britain over anti-government protests that have rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian who was arrested for wearing “inappropriate attire”.

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday urged Iran to stop detaining dual nationals, saying the practice should not be used to obtain “diplomatic leverage”.