A naval military drill was conducted in the Indian Ocean by Iran under the supervision of the Commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, to test new domestically produced drones by firing surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.
Short-range naval missile tests were also conducted earlier this week and at the beginning of the month. Moreover, in the military exercises, several locally manufactured drones were used and tested.
The state TV broadcast reported the drill, describing that the drones attacked the dummy enemy missile shields from every angle, such that they were annihilated. They went on to report that several new generations of ballistic missiles were also tested by attacking fake enemy bases and destroying them.
The drill occurred after the anniversary of the murder of the previous Guards commander Qasem Soleimani who died in a US drone strike that took place last year in January in Baghdad.
The Chief of Staff Mohammad Baqeri spoke on the matter, saying that they were not developing missiles for any hostile motives, but they will now be better prepared to counter any malicious attacks against the country.
Iran is known for its advanced military technology employed by its armed forces. It is also home to the largest missile programs in the entire Middle East. This makes them a formidable adversary to the US and other countries considering the possibility of war.
Since 2018, Iran’s forces and the US military have been engaging in conflicts, notably when US President Donald Trump rescinded the nuclear deal Iran had struck with world powers in 2015. Several sanctions were also imposed on Tehran.
Tensions are rising between the two countries. Tehran was reported to capture a South Korean-flagged oil tanker, Hankuk Chemi, earlier this month because it was allegedly violating pollution regulations. Moreover, Iran also decided to start enriching uranium up to 20%, which breaches the restrictions set by the nuclear deal and is nearly weapons-grade material.
The US has also been reported to deploy the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, a nuclear submarine, and B-52 bombers in the region.
President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, which is set to be inaugurated on January 20 has stated that they would be willing to resume the deal if Iran strictly follows the rules and regulations laid out.
According to the agreement, the country is prevented from carrying out certain nuclear activities and if Iran complies with this, the sanctions will be revoked.
