Five-week massive military exercise launched by Iran

Hindustan Times:

Iran has launched a five-week-long massive military exercise to showcase the combat capability of its troops and "prevent any aggressive military action" against the country.

The exercise, dubbed 'The Blow of Zolfaghar', is being currently held in the southeastern province of Sistan Balochistan and will be conducted in 14 of Iran's 30 provinces. Assault and transport helicopters, parachutists, electronic war units and special forces are participating in the initial manoeuvre, which started on Saturday.

Brig Gen Mohammad Hassan Dadras, commander of Iran's ground force, said,"If any kind of incidence happens in the region, the army embarks on identifying its soft and strong points in a bid to boost its defence capabilities proportionate with the threats and to prevent any aggressive military action against our country."

"The Iranian ground force has manufactured various hi-tech weapons in the short run and the military capability has been boosted to such a high-level that no air force is capable of confronting the army of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the geographical extent adjacent to our borders," the officer said. READ MORE

The exercises "are aimed at improving and updating the army's tactics," he said, adding,"we have initiated methods to cope with all kinds of threats, which might exist against Iran."

In April, Iran had launched another large-scale military exercise, the biggest in previous years. During the game, Iran said that it had tested advanced weapons including missiles and torpedoes.

The new military exercise came even as Tehran is facing heightened pressure with a UN Security Council resolution urging Iran to halt uranium enrichment by August 31.