TEHRAN – Navy Commander Habibollah Sayyari said on Sunday that Islamic Republic’s military might prevents the enemy from assaulting the country, ISNA reported.

Sayyari said the enemy does not dare attack Iran because it “will definitely receive a powerful punch from us.”

The navy staged its latest annual navy drills in February in an area of two million square kilometers, spanning the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, north of the Indian Ocean and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

During the drills, “Dehlaviyeh”, an advanced guided anti-ship missile system, and “Nasir”, the newest marine missile cruise, were test-fired successfully.

The navy also announced that its most advanced destroyer, Sahand, will be launched in the near future as Iran’s third home-grown watercraft. 

“Our first destroyer, called Jamaran, joined the navy in the [Persian] year 1388 (March 2009-March 2010),” he said. “After that, our second destroyer, Damavand, joined the naval fleet in the Caspian Sea last year (March 2015-March 2016), and God willing, Sahand will be unveiled in the near future,” Sayyari said.

The naval drills came amid increasing tension between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s missile program after Washington said that it had officially put Iran “on notice” over the test.

MH/PA