Iran planning to set up naval bases on Yemeni, Syrian coasts

The chief of staff of Iran's military, Gen. Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, said Wednesday that his country needs distant military bases so it is planning to establish ones on the coasts of Yemen and Syria. He claimed such an Iranian military presence on Middle Eastern shores "is worth dozens of times more" than nuclear technology. Tehran is adopting a strategy similar to that of Moscow, which is preparing to intervene in Libya in exchange for use of an airbase, as DEBKAfile reported exclusively on Monday.