Drills showed Iran's versatility against threats: Cmdr.

Recent major maneuvers by the Iranian military showed that the Islamic Republic is versatile in using its military capabilities in the face of potential threats by the enemies, says a top Iranian commander.

“Through these drills we want to show the enemy that our hands are not tied up in the face of the enemy’s various options … we are completely versatile,” said Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the second-in-command of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Thursday.

The IRGC began a series of major war games code-named The Great Prophet 9 on February 25 in the Persian Gulf to the south of Iran and east of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Salami said the one of the main objectives behind the recent drills was to show off Iran's military might to the enemies.

“They always try to replace political negotiations with the rhetoric of a threat; we want our enemies to become familiar with our defensive capabilities and don’t make a mistake in their calculations,” he said.  

The high-ranking Iranian general further elaborated on the achievements of the Great Prophet 9 drills, saying that IRGC’s use of ballistic missiles to fire at a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier showed the extent of the Iran’s missile power.

On the second day of the maneuvers, a real-size model of a US aircraft carrier was struck with nearly 400 rounds of 107-millimeter missiles (shown below).

Salami said the US government has always used its huge aircraft carriers to put political leverage on other countries.

Iran is the only, or one of the few countries which have deflated the enemy's delusions of grandeur.

Salami highlighted the precision and efficacy of the Khalij Fars missiles (pictured below) which were used during the recent drills to hit the mock-up carrier. He said the missiles should be viewed as a game-changer in Iran’s ballistic power as the projectile, known as carrier-killer, is Iran’s most potent anti-ship ballistic missile and easily destroys huge vessels like those of the US Navy.

The senior Iranian commander also elaborated on the massive dimensions of the recent war game, describing the deployment of around 500 ship-based missile-launchers as "perhaps the largest marine parade in the history of mankind."

On February 27, IRGC officials said a new strategic weapon was successfully tested in the last phase of their three-day major maneuvers. Various types of weaponry were also tested during the drills with some of them being introduced for the first time. The IRGC's Ground Force was also engaged in various exercises during the second day of the maneuvers.

MS/NN/HMV

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