Recent military drills by Iran in its southern waters amid heightenedtensions with Washington are a message to the new US administration,according to a political expert.

Iran has held a series of military drills in recent weeks. The exerciseshave gained momentum since the US dispatched warships, submarines and anaircraft carrier to the Gulf region, sparking tensions and fears of adirect military confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

“Through the missile and drone exercises, the Iranian government aims toshow its strength to the Iranian public, while it is sending a message tothe new US administration that prospective negotiations between the twocountries will not be easy,” Hakki Uygur, deputy head of the Center forIranian Studies (IRAM) in the capital Ankara, told Anadolu Agency.

Iran had a very difficult year in 2020 as it tried to face down numerousattacks targeting its domestic and external security, Uygur said.

Pointing to the timing of the military exercises, Uygur said the countryhad to somehow respond to these attacks against its national security sincethe government’s inability to do so directly in their aftermath had causedinternal unrest.

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Military drills came amid speculations that Iran was seeking retaliationfor last year’s killings of top military commander Qasem Soleimani by theUS and nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Following Soleimani’s killing, the two countries had briefly come to thebrink of direct military confrontation, though this was eventually averted.

Soleimani was killed along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy leader ofIraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi militia or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in a USdrone airstrike outside Baghdad International Airport on Jan. 3 of 2020.

On Nov. 27, Iran announced that nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, 63,was assassinated when his car was targeted on the outskirts of Tehran.

“Through the recent military exercises, Iran probably aims to threaten theUS presence in the region,” Uygur said.

With the drills, the Iranian army targeted US navy elements in more distantpositions rather than the US bases in the region, which falls within therange of its missiles, Uygur noted.

*Military exercises in recent weeks*

On Jan. 20, the Iranian army’s ground forces wrapped up a two-day militaryexercise code-named Eqtedar-99, along the country’s Makran coast in the Seaof Oman in the presence of top military officials.

The army’s deputy commander, Brig. Gen. Kiomars Sharafi, said “disruptingthe enemy’s command and communication system at the sea” were among thetactics performed during the drill.

On Jan. 15, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) aerospacedivision held a large-scale military exercise code-named Great Prophet 15,which involved next-generation ballistic missiles and bomber drones in thecountry’s central desert.

A wide array of long-range ballistic missiles and drones were used totarget “hypothetical enemy bases” in the Sea of Oman and northern parts ofthe Indian Ocean during the military games.

Iran’s army chief Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, who was present at theoccasion, said Iran was “at the peak of its power” with “high preparednessin land, air, sea and missile defense.”

IRGC chief Gen. Hossein Salami said the ongoing military exercises wereaimed at showing Iran’s “deterrent power” and to “thwart hostile moves ofthe enemy,” referring to the US.

Earlier on Jan. 13, Iran’s Navy carried out a major exercise in the Gulf ofOman, in which the forward base ship Makran and missile-launching frigateZereh were formally handed over to the naval forces.

*Iran’s current drone, ballistic missile capacity*

Iran has made considerable progress in the development of ballistic andcruise missiles over the past decade, Uygur said.

The country has also been making serious efforts to develop the operationalcapability of its drones as it has been experiencing difficulties inimporting conventional weapons, he said.

“Iran’s growing drone and ballistic missile capacity causes concern in thecountries of the region, especially in Saudi Arabia and Israel,” Uygurnoted.

He underlined that Iran uses its ballistic missile and drone inventory notonly for its national army, but makes them available to its proxies in theregion as well, such as Hezbollah and Ansar Allah in Yemen, also known asthe Houthis.

The issue of Iran’s increasing drone and ballistic missile capacity isexpected to be on the table in the prospective US-Iran negotiations,according to Uygur.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry earlier this month said it was “monitoring” what ittermed “hidden moves” by the US in the region and said it had conveyed”warnings” to Washington and regional countries.

It came after the Pentagon reversed its previous decision and orderedaircraft carrier Nimitz to remain in the Persian Gulf region in view ofwhat it termed “threats issued by Iranian leaders against President Trumpand other US officials.”

With Joe Biden taking over as the new US President last week, all eyeswould be on how the tensions between the two long-time adversaries will panout in coming weeks and months.

On Jan. 20, Biden was officially sworn in as US president and Kamala Harrisas vice president. – Anadolu Agency