Iran holds fifth army drill in two weeks amid pressure with US | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Information

Iran shows special forces, helicopters and tanks shortly after the US again flies B-52 bombers over the Middle East.

Tehran, Iran – The Iranian Army conducted another exercise on the country’s south coast days after the US flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over the Middle East.

At the fifth military show of force in two weeks, the army’s ground forces hosted land, air and sea warfare games along the Makran coast and the Oman Sea.

The state broadcaster broadcast dramatic footage of dozens of Iranian soldiers jumping off planes, while images released by the army show attack helicopters, tanks and missiles in action, as well as hundreds of workers ready to be deployed.

The Army also said it is using rapid response forces to test “a variety of creative indigenous tactics” and using divers to complete pre-defined scenarios.

“Today the army’s ground forces have achieved considerable operational capabilities in the use of drones and missiles,” said Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Dadras, deputy chief of the Iranian army.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the B-52 mission [Iran army handout]”The power and might of the Army’s ground forces in responding to threats is demonstrated in this exercise.”

The exercise came days after the US again flew B-52 bombers over the region for the fifth time in the past two months.

The outgoing Donald Trump administration, which has pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” accompanied by harsh economic sanctions against Iran, first flew the bombers ahead of the January 3rd anniversary of the assassination of Iranian Colonel General Qassem Soleimani.

Soleimani was killed in a Trump-ordered drone attack in Baghdad last year.

In response to the increasing US military presence, the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) organized several military demonstrations of force in the new year.

The Army conducted a locally-made drone exercise and fired torpedoes from locally-made submarines, while the IRGC unveiled a huge underground missile base and tested long-range missiles that were claimed to be able to target enemy ships and aircraft carriers over 1,800 km (1,118 miles ) turn off) way.

In a speech on Tuesday, IRGC Commander in Chief Hossein Salami said the war games bring “calm and confidence” to the Iranian people [Iran army handout]On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the B-52 mission, saying the US should spend its military billions “on the health of its taxpayers” if it is to intimidate Iran.

“Even though we haven’t started a war in over 200 years, we’re not afraid to destroy attackers,” he said.

In a speech on Tuesday, the IRGC Commander in Chief Hossein Salami said the war games bring “calm and confidence” to the Iranian people and signal that Iran will not stall in self-defense.

“Our hands are on the trigger for the portrayal of the great Iranian nation,” he said.

US President-elect Joe Biden, who will replace Trump on Wednesday, has pledged to ease tensions with Tehran by reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, from which Trump unilaterally resigned in 2018.

However, Biden has signaled that Washington is looking for broader negotiations on the Iranian missile program and its regional influence, which Iran has refused.

The army said it was using rapid response forces to test “a variety of creative indigenous tactics”. [Iran army handout]