Iran Army launches large-scale joint drills in strategic Sea of Oman

The Iranian Army has started large-scale military exercises in an area stretching from the eastern sector of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the northern tip of the Indian Ocean and parts of the Red Sea, with the participation of airborne units, special forces, and rapid reaction brigades.

Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, the spokesman for the joint drills codenamed Zolfaqar-1400, said troops serving in the Army’s infantry and armored units, mechanized regiments, air defense units, naval units, and Air Force have taken part in the main stage of the exercise.

He said participating tactical and coastal units in the war game have successfully carried out various reconnaissance, surveillance, and combat exercises, employing different types of electronic warfare equipment and drones such as the homegrown Ababil-3, Yasir, Sadeq, Mohajer-4, and Simorgh unmanned aerial vehicles, besides P3F, RF4, and Boeing 707 aircraft.

The senior military figure highlighted that marine and commando units of the Iranian Army and its Navy carried out airborne, heliborne, and amphibious exercises, launched surprise attacks, and stroke predetermined mock enemy targets.

He highlighted that the Iranian marines and commandos, regardless of tough topographical features of the area and intense attacks by mock enemy forces, utilized effective combat and reconnaissance strategies to prevent the latter from conducting surveillance activities and making on-ground progress.

He said Iranian naval forces employed domestically-developed Azarakhsh, Shahab and Ra’d speedboats, which were equipped with rocket launchers, to destroy the naval units of the mock enemy.

Other missions carried out during the war game included naval mines planting, coastal defense by means of artillery units, and heliborne operations, the admiral added.