Iran’s Navy has received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, as well as reconnaissance helicopters, state media reported today.

The announcement comes at a time of tension in the Red Sea and as the US, in the latest episode of a ship attack, blames Tehran for a drone attack on a tanker of Israeli interests in the Indian Ocean.

“The Talaeiyeh cruise missile has a range of more than 1,000 kilometers and is an intelligent missile that can change its targeting mid-course,” Iranian state media quoted Navy Chief Shahram Irani as saying.

Warnings for the “closure” of the Mediterranean from Tehran – Reaction from the US and Britain

Yesterday, an official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, warned that other sea routes would become dangerous if the war between Israel and Hamas continued.

“As crimes continue, America and its allies should expect the birth of new resistance forces and the closure of other shipping lanes. They should expect the closure of the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and other sea lanes soon,” he added, without elaborating.

The Red Sea connects the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean and thus Europe with Asia. About 2,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal every year, a number that corresponds to almost 40% of world trade.

On Friday, the White House accused Iran of being “actively involved in the planning” of these attacks by providing the Houthis with intelligence and “sophisticated military equipment,” without which the Shiite rebels would have “difficulty locating and striking” the ships.

However, Tehran rejects US accusations that it provides military hardware to the rebels, although it admits it politically supports the Houthis.

On December 18, the US announced the formation of a coalition for the defense of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in which approximately 20 countries participate as part of “Operation Prosperity Guardian”.