Iranian Navy to stage war games

The Iranian Navy will hold a 6-day naval exercise in an area covering about one million square kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz to the northern part of the Indian Ocean, the commander of the Iranian Navy announced during a news conference on Tuesday.
The war games, entitled Velayat-90, will begin on December 28, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.

On the objectives of the exercise, he said that the maneuvers will be held to test the country’s new defense and missile systems, combat vessels, and submarines, and provide naval forces with the opportunity to perform combat and reconnaissance missions, repel mock attacks, and practice countering electronic warfare measures.

He also said that Tareq and Ghadir submarines and domestically manufactured hovercrafts will be used during the war games.

Some Iranian naval units, including submarines, warships, destroyers, and missile systems will act as mock enemy forces, he added.

In addition, Sayyari said that during the war games, Iranian forces will carry out operations in international waters and will not enter neighboring countries’ territorial waters and foreign forces will not be allowed to enter the theater of operation.

On December 17, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Naval Force, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, also announced that naval forces of the IRGC would hold war games in the Strait of Hormuz by the end of the current Iranian calendar year, which ends on March 21, 2013.

IRGC forces practiced their ability to block the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil shipping waterway, during a naval exercise which was conducted in January in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian military officials have said that the country’s armed forces may consider blocking the strategic waterway if Iran is faced with any military threats.