Depending on how it pursues its nuclear energy program, Iran is potentially threatened by not just the United States, but also Israel, Iraq, NATO, and the United Nations. To deter any would-be attackers, Iran is fortifying its southern coast from Bandar Abbas (near the Strait of Hormuz) to Pasa Bandar (in the Indian Ocean).

While these bases will be defensive in that they are along the states borders, they can be seen as offensive because they are located well away from the capital city of Tehran and its border with its longtime nemesis, Iraq.

According to Iranian Naval Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayari, these outward-facing bases are designed to allow Iran to “drown [the enemy] at the bottom of the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman before they [can] reach the Strait of Hormuz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf,” should the enemy go “insane.” It is important to note that Rear Admiral Sayari did not state that the enemy would need to attack to spark retaliatory action, only that they must act “insane.” By already laying the groundwork for a preemptive or perhaps even preventative attack, it becomes apparent that Iran is looking to enhance its offensive power as much as it is attempting to defend itself.