Iran Conducts Largest Joint Naval Exercises In The Persian Gulf

Iran’s military, including the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), carried out their largest joint naval exercises in the country’s southern waters, state television reported.

A fleet of 580 vessels, including ocean-going destroyers and warships, transited the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

The exercises were part of a week-long series of the 1980 Iran-Iraq War. The naval exercises happened just one day after an Israeli airstrike killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon.

The incident occurred after a similar deadly explosions in Lebanon involving Hezbollah-used devices such as pagers and walkie-talkies.

Iran displayed a variety of military hardware at nationwide parades on the same day, including what state media described as an advanced ballistic missile with a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and the ability to evade anti-missile defense systems.

Iran and Hezbollah have publicly accused Israel of arranging the recent explosions in Lebanon, which killed dozens and injured over 2,900 people, including Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in the incidents.

Tehran has been planning retaliatory actions against Israel since July, when it accused the country of assassinating a senior Hamas official in Tehran.

During its military display, Iran also revealed a new ballistic missile and a long-range attack drone. The IRGC’s Aerospace Force developed the Jihad missile, a solid-fuel missile with a 1,000-kilometer operational range. According to Iranian state media, the missile can evade existing anti-missile defense systems.

The Shahed-136B, an upgraded version of the Shahed-136 drone, was also introduced, with a new set of features and an operational range of over 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). The introduction of these powerful weapons shows Iran’s growing capability in long-range warfare.

Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s new president, attended the annual military parade in Tehran.

Pezeshkian praised Iran’s growing deterrence ability, saying it has left enemies incapable of launching attacks against the country. He also appreciated the sacrifices Iranian soldiers and commanders made during the conflict.

According to Tasnim news agency, the parade featured 23 ballistic missiles, including Emad, Fatah, Haj Qasem, Jihad, Kheibar Shekan, Khorramshahr, Sejil, and Qadr H.

Pezeshkian acknowledged the Iranian military’s contributions, stating that without them, Iran would not be as safe as it is now.

Reference: Bloomberg, Kayhan

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Source: Maritime Shipping News