A new cutting-edge destroyer dubbed Dena will join the Iranian military in February, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said on Friday.
In his speech, dedicated to Iran's Navy Day, Khanzadi announced that the country had developed such equipment as missiles that can be launched from deep-sea submarines. According to him, with the construction of rocket launcher warships and the construction of Moudge-class destroyers, the Islamic Republic "has entered the field of naval combat".
The announcement is yet another step in the modernisation of the nation's military, announced by Tehran amid a standoff with the United States.
Since Washington withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal, and re-instated sanctions on the Islamic Republic, the ties between the two countries continue to deteriorate. The US has already boosted its military presence and even established an international maritime coalition near Iran's borders.