Iran's Revolutionary Guards unveiled an underground naval missile base at an undisclosed Persian Gulf location on Saturday two days before Trump's return to the White House.

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It was unveiled at a time when tension with Washington is widely expected to rise. Iranian leaders are concerned that Trump might empower Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran's nuclear sites while tightening U.S. sanctions on its oil industry through his "maximum pressure" policy.

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IRGC Chief Commander Hossein Salami visited the secret base during war games

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State television showed Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami visiting the secret base during war games. He said it was one of several built underground for vessels capable of launching long-range missiles and carrying out distant warfare.

Iran's state television broadcast footage of General Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guards, inspecting a clandestine underground base during military exercises. According to Salami, this base is one of several secret facilities designed to accommodate vessels equipped for launching long-range missiles and conducting long-distance warfare.

"We assure the great nation of Iran that their young people are capable of coming out honourable and victorious from a battle on the seas against enemies big and small," Salami said.

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Media releases base's footage 

Footage released by IRGC-affiliated media and the state TV showed tunnels with long rows of "a new version of Taregh-class radar-evading speedboats which can launch cruise missiles."

According to the state TV report, the base was built at a depth of 500 meters (yards) somewhere in the Persian Gulf.

Iran's massive military exercises, which began earlier this month, are slated to last two months. The drills have already included war games where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) defended Natanz nuclear installations against simulated attacks by missiles and drones. 

The drills are held at a time when tension with the United States is widely expected to rise following Donald Trump's inauguration.

(With inputs from agencies)