Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
the Middle East continues to morph in ways previously unrealized, Iran may be aiming to increase its military reach drastically. Iranian proxies—such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and more recently Houthi rebels in Yemen—have extended Iran’s military influence abroad. Yet the strategic utility of these groups alone pales in comparison to that provided by actually having military outposts in the regions where they operate. In other words, when you pair a regular military asset like a naval base with these irregular proxy elements, the sum is greater than their parts. Not just that, but persistently holding a military presence far from Iranian shores opens up a new set of tactical and strategic possibilities. Now it looks as if Tehran has come to the same conclusion and is now actively mulling over the possibility of doing just that–establishing naval bases in or very near Syria and Yemen.
