Iran to Hold Naval Drill in Near Future

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Wednesday that the Islamic Republic will hold a major naval drill in the near future, Press TV reported.

The drill dubbed Velayat 91 (Guardianship 91) is scheduled to be held in the tenth month of the Iranian calendar (Dec. 21, 2012 to Jan. 20, 2013) to display the navy’s might and deterrence power, Sayyari was quoted as saying.

The report did not mention the location of the exercise, but the Islamic Republic has so far conducted its naval drills in its southern waters.

The Iranian commander also said that Iran’s navy has plans to send a fleet of warships to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

On Dec. 24, 2011, Iran held the 10-day Velayat 90 navy drill in its southern waters, including the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, aimed at demonstrating the combat readiness and ability of the country’s naval forces to defend its territorial waters.

Iran test-fired long and short-range missiles during its military drill in the Strait of Hormuz. Its submarines also hit pre-determined targets during the exercises, using domestically- manufactured torpedoes.