TEHRAN, Iran

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy announced Friday that it received a large number of locally-developed anti-ship cruise missiles, amid regional tensions.

Iranian state television said the missiles were delivered to forces under the directive of the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami.

Iranian sources indicated that the cruise missiles, designed to target “enemy destroyers,” are equipped with high-explosive warheads and are resistant to interception.

Following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, and with a potential Iranian response against Israel, the US deployed an aircraft carrier and warships to the Persian Gulf.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio