Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a force to be reckoned with but still needs to develop more advanced weapons, the country’s Supreme Leader has ordered, amid growing hostility from the US and its regional allies.

"Your weapons should be modern and updated. It should be developed at home," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the corps in a speech at Imam Hussein Military University in Tehran on Sunday. He added that the elite military force has “a powerful presence inside and outside Iran” and that “America's hostile approach has increased the Guards' greatness”.

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In April, Washington designated IRGC as a terrorist organization. Since then, the US has imposed sanctions aimed at blocking sources of revenue for the corps.

Regional tensions have spiked following a series of incidents in the Gulf. Khamenei’s remarks come just two days after an Iranian oil tanker was allegedly attacked by two projectiles off the coast of the Saudi port of Jeddah. It’s not yet clear who carried out the strike, but Tehran has vowed to hold any responsible party accountable.

A major Saudi oil-processing facility was crippled by a drone and missile attack in September, which Washington and Riyadh said was launched by Iran. The Islamic Republic has denied any involvement in the incident.

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