Massive Zolfaghar war games kicked off southeast Iran

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The Iranian Army has launched massive military drills involving forces from the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz to the northern tip of the Indian Ocean.

The combined drills, codenamed Zolfaghar 1401, began on Thursday night with the core theme of "self-confidence, power, and sustainable security" to strengthen the Armed Forces' combat capability.

On his account, Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari stated that infantry and armored troops, as well as mechanized regiments of the Army's Ground Force, air defense systems, subsurface, surface, and aerial vessels and Navy rangers, took part in the war games. He also noted that air Force strategic bombers will provide logistical support during the exercises.

The large-scale maneuvers also seem to be intended to improve planning abilities and conduct, direct, and evaluate joint operations, in addition to synergizing the Army's four main divisions' defense power.

The drills, according to Sayyari, also aim to improve the skills of the Army's commanders and personnel in using combat units, the Khatam Al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, drones, and electronic not to mention cyber warfare systems.

The top military figure noted that troops will also practice performing operations in unusual situations, such as those contaminated with biological, chemical, and nuclear agents, electronic warfare, and extreme weather conditions.

The drills are intended to signal a warning for regional states demonstrating the Iranian army’s existing capabilities, assuring that Iran does not require foreign powers to secure its regional security, Sayyari tersely stressed.

Extra-regional countries and warmongers have historically brought nothing but insecurity, war, and occupation to the West Asia region, according to Sayyari.

He further explained that extra-regional countries, most notably the United States and the United Kingdom, must leave the region in order for regional countries to build stability and peace in their neighborhood.

The Zolfaghar 1401 joint exercise also provides stark evidence that Iran's arms embargoes are ineffective because Iran has a vast list of weapons that it can make at home.

This comes shortly after Iran mounted an anti-missile system on the turrets of T-72M tanks to protect them against attacks earlier this month.

The upgrade saw the IRGC modernization and rebranding of the tank under Karrar, and the usage of the upgraded T-72M tanks came during the latest Iranian drills, the Great Prophet 17 joint drills on Iran's southern coasts.

The drills came after the United States said it was preparing "alternatives" in case the Vienna talks to revive the Iranian nuclear program collapse.