TEHRAN -Amid escalation with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the Saudi Oilfield attacks, Iranian Military holds massive show of power in Persian Gulf.
Fighter jets of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) and theIslamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have taken part in joint aerialdrills over the Persian Gulf waters ahead of a massive parade slated forSunday.
Various combat, tactical, reconnaissance, transport, and tanker aircraft ofthe IRIAF and the IRGC were present at the Friday morning drills, Press TVhas reported.
The exercises, held for the second day, were aimed at increasing thepreparedness of the military units for the massive drills due to be held onSunday on the anniversary of Sacred Defense Week, which marks the beginningof the eight-year war imposed by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein onIran in 1980.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian warplanes took off from Shahid AbdolkarimiAirbase in the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on the first dayof the preparatory drills.
Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, the lieutenant commander of the IRIAF, saidon Thursday the parades send the message of peace and friendship toneighboring countries.
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In addition to the jet fighters, 200 frigates and speedboats will alsodisplay the country’s naval power during the Sunday parade.
“The parade will be held to display the strengths and capabilities of theArmed Forces, and to boost unity and sympathy among the Army and IRGCforces,” General Vahedi said.
He praised the Islamic Republic’s role in maintaining the sustainablesecurity of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, saying that onlyregional countries can secure the strategic bodies of water.
The parade is to be held at a time when the US is forming a naval mission,already joined by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the UnitedKingdom, purportedly aimed at protecting shipping lanes in the MiddleEastern waterways.
