Tehran unveiled the 600-ton Fateh submarine in a ceremony on 17 February attended by President Hassan Rouhani in Bandar Abbas, which will be its home base. The submarine is intended for operations outside the Gulf in the Arabian Sea, according to Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi. The launch follows the announcement in November of two new light submarines joining Iran’s 23-strong Ghadir fleet, designed to operate within the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran claims its latest domestically-designed submarine can stay at sea for up to six weeks and has a cruising range of nearly 5,000km.