IRGC Commander: Iranian Armed Forces to Stage 20 Drills This Year

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari announced the Armed Forces’ plan to stage 20 wargames in the current Iranian year (started on March 21).

“20 drills will be staged this year by the Armed Forces based on the schedule,” Jafari told reporters in a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

He also announced that 250,000 Iranian Basiji (volunteer) forces in the form of 250 battalions will hold massive drills on Wednesday and Thursday to practice fighting against security threats.

Jafari also referred to the UN Security Council resolution 2231 which calls for restrictions on Iran’s missile program, and said, “No limitations is accepted in this field, including those raised in the resolution.”

He underlined that the UN resolutions have never increased Iran’s vulnerability to foreign aggression.

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi announced the IRGC plans to stage two massive specialized drills by the end of the current Iranian year.

“We will have two IRGC specialized drills by the end of this year and of course, one of the drills might be coordinated with the Army,” Fadavi told reporters in Tehran.

Asked about the US naval exercising to prepare for any possible IRGC speedboats attacks, he said that the Americans develop all their capabilities, trainings and drills based on three threats in the sea, that include “the IRGC’s speedboats, mines and missiles”.

Fadavi downplayed the US efforts to confront the IRGC Navy, and said while they work on their plans, Iran also tries to make more progress and further advance its military equipment and weapons.

The Iranian Armed Forces have recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of home-made weapons, tools and equipment, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircrafts, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran’s wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor.

In a recent development, the IRGC Navy ended the massive wargames, codenamed Payambar-e Azam (The Great Prophet) 9, in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz late February.

Speaking to reporters in the Southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, Rear Admiral Fadavi said that the IRGC’s massive wargames ended after three days in Southern Iran after testing a strategic weapon.

“This new weapon plays a determining role in increasing Iran’s naval power to confront the threats, specially by the US, against the Islamic Revolution,” he said.

Different IRGC Navy vessels were used in the exercises.

On the first day of the drills, a mock aircraft carrier was destroyed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps missiles.

The model was built in real size and came under attack and was destroyed by missiles and rockets fired from tens of IRGC speedboats.

Also a number of the IRGC cruise and two ballistic missiles were fired at the mock US aircraft carrier.

Also during the wargames, a mobile naval target was destroyed by Fateh 110 and Zelzal missiles on a deserted island 270km away from the wargames zone.

During the first moments of the second stage of the drills, enemy drones were also hit and destroyed by Misaq shoulder-launched missiles and artilleries mounted on 100 IRGC’s speedboats.

Also, tens of IRGC vessels conducted high-speed mine-laying operations in a short period of time to get ready for critical situations in times of possible threats.

Fadavi described Iran’s “mine-laying” capability as “the most important concern of the Americans”, and said, “We have the most advanced sea mines which cannot be imagined by the Americans.”

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Iranian officials have always stressed that the country’s military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.