Press TV – August 22, 2008
A senior army commander says Iran has wrapped three successful military maneuvers aimed at strengthening the country's defensive prowess.
Brigadier General Abdul-Rahim Mousavi said Friday that Iran's Army forces have held aerial, naval and ground drills over the past two months.
According to the Iranian commander, the maneuvers have been held in secret to prevent Western governments from acquiring intelligence on Iran's defensive and combat capabilities.
The announcement comes amid reports suggesting that an armada of US and European naval vessels had been stationed in the Persian Gulf in an unprecedented build-up.
The US and Israel have long threatened to launch military strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran should the country continue its uranium enrichment program.
Despite the UN nuclear watchdog's confirmation that enriched uranium in Iran does not exceed 3 percent, a rate consistent with the construction of a nuclear power plant, the two staunch partners alongside their European allies accuse Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of pursuing atomic weaponry.
Brig. Gen. Abdul-Rahim Mousavi, deputy Coordinator of the Islamic Republic Army, added that one of the goals of the maneuvers was to test the forces' promptness in countering threats against the country.
"In a part one of the drills, a legion of the army was moved from a region to another in quickest possible manner," he expounded.
"While the media scrutinizes any military movement in Iran, this part of maneuver was carried masterfully out without attracting any attention," the commander continued.
MD/MMN
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Last updated 25/08/2008
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