Iran TV shows missile base after paramilitary march against 'threats'

Iranian state TV showcases Revolutionary Guard commander at missile base after parade in Tehran, amid tensions with US and Israel.

Iranian state TV on Friday (January 10, 2025) showed the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps touring an underground missile base used in an attack against Israel, hours after fighters marched through Tehran.

The footage of the missile base at an undisclosed location "in the mountains" and the parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers come after the weakening of Iran's allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during wars with Israel.

They also come days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is due to take office. During his first term, he oversaw the killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq, and reinstated sanctions on Tehran after pulling out from a landmark nuclear deal.

State TV showed Guards chief Hossein Salami visiting the missile base, which the report said has "dozens" of different types of missiles and was used during Iran's second ever direct attack on regional foe Israel late last year.

The Iranian missile attack on Israel in October was in stated retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region, along with a general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

On Friday, thousands of Basij fighters, which are linked to the Revolutionary Guards, paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran, showing their readiness to face "threats".

Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos moved through the streets. Fighters in combat gear marched on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.