Iran is planning to build a naval base at the South Pole, its naval chief said on Thursday.
"Our plan in the future is to raise the proud flag of Iran in Antarctica," navy chief Adm Shahram Irani said during Iran's "sacred defence" week.
Tehran hopes to conduct "military and scientific" work at the South Pole, he added, addressing the 86th flotilla, which returned in June from voyages to prepare an Antarctic expedition.
In May, Iran said it hoped to send warships to Antarctica in the "near future" and had sent the flotilla on a round-the-world expedition to prepare for the mission.
Adm Irani said the flotilla "broke the hegemony of world powers", state-run Irna reported.
The US earlier this year expressed concerns when Tehran sent warships to Brazil and said it would send ships to the Panama Canal.
"We have been present in all the strategic straits of the world, and we have not been present in only two straits – in one of which we will be present this year, and we are planning to be present in the Panama Canal," Adm Irani said in January.
Adm Irani's reference to two straits appears to be a comment on the Strait of Hormuz, and the Bab Al Mandab strait, both of which are among the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Iran has a heavy military presence in the Hormuz strait and has sent some ships, on a more limited basis, to the Bab Al Mandab, between Yemen and the African continent.
Tehran has also made efforts to shore up its military and economic alliances in South America and Africa as tensions with the West remain high.
In July, Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year co-operation agreement, while Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian visited Nicaragua in February before heading to Caracas in Venezuela.
Iran has two navies, one belonging to the army and one belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Adm Irani's comments come during a week of military parades commemorating the Iran-Iraq war, and a day after Tehran claimed it successfully launched an imaging satellite into orbit.
The Noor 3 imaging satellite was launched from an undisclosed site to 450km above the Earth's surface.
The US believes Iran's satellite programme can both advance its nuclear capabilities as well as provide cover for ballistic missile development, which requires much of the same technology as is used in satellites.
THREE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
Result
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,950m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Adam McLean, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,950m; Winner: Conclusion, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh100,000 1,400m; Winner: Pilgrim’s Treasure, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Superpower%20
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