Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Launches Drill Near Iraqi Border
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that its Ground Force began a military exercise on Thursday, February 13, in southwestern Iran near the Iraqi border.
Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC Ground Force, said that in this drill named “The Great Prophet 16,” 11 unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters were deployed alongside artillery units.
It is unclear how long this exercise will last. In recent months, coinciding with the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency in the United States and amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, Iran has conducted several military exercises.
Tehran is also trying to pressure the new Biden administration to bring Washington back to the Vienna nuclear agreement, a deal that Donald Trump decided to withdraw from in May 2018 and imposed heavy sanctions against Iran.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held exercises last month in which it targeted hypothetical objectives with its ballistic missiles in the deserts of central Iran and the Indian Ocean.
Last week, Iran’s Navy also fired short-range missile shots during an exercise.
The “Great Prophet 16” exercise began on Thursday with the presence of Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Domestic media reported that “in this exercise, elite units of commandos, armor, missiles, drones, and infantry of the IRGC Ground Force and Air Force carry out missions based on the exercise scenario.”
Source: Radio Farda
