Iranian Military Commander Downplays Importance of Arab States’ Military Drills

A senior Iranian military commander Wednesday played down the importance of a series of military exercises conducted by the Persian Gulf Arab states, but at the same time stressed that Iranian Armed Forces are prepared to defend the country regardless of such exercises.

Speaking to FNA, Commander of Khatom ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli said that Arab states had also earlier conducted several joint military exercised with the US or other trans-regional forces and the recent drills were nothing new.

“This is just another maneuver”, and nothing more, Esmayeeli continued.

As regards Iran’s reaction, Esmayeeli said, “We do not wait for the start of a set of wargames to boost our vigilant to a 100 percent degree, rather we are always vigilant and on the alert round the clock 24 hours a day.”

On Sunday, Persian Gulf Arab states began two days of joint military exercises, dubbed as ‘Islands of Loyalty’.

The drills were carried out by the Peninsula Shield Force, the joint army of the Persian Gulf Arab states, to test the ability of ground, air and naval troops to carry out missions along coasts and on islands in territorial waters.