IRGC begins drills near Iraqi border

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that its ground forces had begun a military exercise in southwestern Iran, near the Iraqi border, on Thursday, February 13.

Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, said that 11 drones and helicopters, along with artillery units, were used in the exercise, called "Peamebar Azam 16."

It is unclear how long the exercise will last. Iran has held several drills in recent months, coinciding with the final days of Donald Trump's presidency in the United States and as tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen.

Tehran is also trying to pressure the new Joe Biden administration to return Washington to the Vienna nuclear agreement, an agreement that Donald Trump decided to cancel in May 2018 and impose heavy sanctions on Iran.

Last month, the Revolutionary Guards held exercises in which they fired ballistic missiles at hypothetical targets in the deserts of the country's center and the Indian Ocean.

Last week, the Iranian Navy fired short-range missiles during a drill.

The "Prophet 16" exercise began on Thursday with the presence of IRGC Commander Hossein Salami. Domestic media reported that "in this exercise, selected commando, armored, missile, drone, and jungle units of the IRGC Ground Force and IRGC Air Force will carry out missions based on the exercise scenario."

Source: Radio Farda