Hailing IRGC massive drills, Raeisi warns enemies of Iran's firm response to any hostile act

Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi has hailed the recent "successful" holding of large-scale military exercises by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), warning enemies of the Islamic Republic's decisive response to any hostile act.

"Any hostile action by the enemies will face a comprehensive and decisive response from the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and will change the strategic equation in a meaningful way," Raeisi said on Saturday.

Raeisi, who also serves as the head of the Supreme National Security Council, hailed the IRGC efforts to safeguard security of the Iranian and regional nations.

He said the successful holding of the IRGC's maneuver was a clear indication of the country’s "will and capability to defend the Iranian nation’s interests and security.”

The IRGC's five-day massive drills, dubbed Great Prophet 17, ended on Friday. The maneuvers were held in the Persian Gulf region, the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the coastal areas of the southern province of Hormuzgan, Bushehr, and Khuzestan. The exercises were part of major military drills Iran holds regularly to improve its combat readiness.

They intended to showcase the maneuverability of solid-fuel missiles to cross enemy shields and to improve the combat readiness of the IRGC forces.

The IRGC commander said on Friday that the elite military force’s massive military exercises sent "very clear and obvious" messages to the Zionist regime, warning the Israeli authorities to watch their acts vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic.

In stern warning to Israel, IRGC says will cut off Zionists hands in case of blunder

The IRGC commander says the elite military force’s large-scale military exercises in Iran’s southern areas very clear messages to the Zionist regime.

"The message of this drills is a serious, real and field warning to the threats of the Zionist regime officials to be aware of their mistakes and blunders," Major General Hossein Salami said, adding, "We will cut off their hands if they make a wrong move."

Iran air defense network at apex of readiness, will not allow slightest aggression

Brigadier General Qader Rahimzadeh, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, said the country's integrated air defense network is at the highest level of preparedness and would not allow even the slightest act of aggression.

He added that the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base has brought about security and deterrence for the country, saying, "Practicing various defense methods has made the country's integrated air defense network stand at the highest level of readiness and combat capability."

The senior commander emphasized that the air defense units of the Army and the IRGC would defend Iran's airspace with full preparedness and vigilance and would not allow enemies to carry out the slightest act of aggression against the country.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great progress in developing and manufacturing a broad range of domestically-manufactured equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in this regard.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to build up its defense capabilities, emphasizing such abilities are entirely meant for the purpose of defense and will be never subject to negotiations.

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