IRGC Navy using AI-equipped missiles, deploying long-distance forces

The naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have missiles equipped with artificial intelligence that have a high range and can be remotely guided after being fired, the commander of the IRGC Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, claimed on Wednesday, according to Iranian media.

"In the naval domain, we have vessels that can fire missiles with a unique and entirely Iranian design, with a higher range and a higher speed," said Tangsiri. The IRGC has made other similar announcements about such missiles in the past year, including the "Abu Mahdi," which the IRGC claims has a range of over 1,000 km.

The IRGC naval commander added that several new vessels, including the Shahid Sayyad Shirazi and the Shahid Hassan Bagheri, were being introduced into the IRGC Navy and that two further vessels called the Shahid Rais Ali Delwari and the Abu Mahdi Muhandis would be introduced in the future.

Tangsiri added as well that new Iranian achievements concerning subsurface drones would be revealed soon and that the IRGC had "done great things in the field of drones."

"It is better that the enemies do not know about these achievements," said the IRGC Navy chief.

Tangisri's comments came as the US announced the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational coalition established to defend maritime traffic against threats by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.

IRGC Navy organizing new, long-distance volunteer force

On Tuesday, Tangsiri announced that a volunteer mobilization force (Basij) had been organized by the IRGC Navy to handle missions in the ocean as distant as Tanzania.

Similar Basij forces had already been established in the Persian Gulf and the new force will be provided with large boats that can sail far.

"The Basij forces use those vessels that are furnished with weapons such as 107mm rockets, and fire them when necessary," said Tangsiri.