TEHRAN – The highest ranking Iranian military commander said on Saturday that the launch of ballistic missiles at mock enemy targets at a distance over 1,800 kilometers carried as a meaningful choice, warning the enemies that any threat to Iran's national interests would face a harsh response in the shortest possible time.

Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, said the operation to blast mock enemy targets with long-range ballistic missiles in the southern areas of the Sea of Oman and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean at a distance of over 1,800 kilometers carried a heavy weight.

Bagheri made these remarks while attending a large-scale military exercise staged by the IRGC Aerospace Force in the central desert of Iran.

"Choosing a bunch of long-range missiles against naval targets illustrates that if the enemies of the Islamic Republic have ill intentions against our national interests, maritime trade routes, and territory, they will come under missile strike and will be destroyed," the top general warned.

He also noted that the Payambar-e Azam 15 (the Great Prophet 15) drill and the other intensive exercises that have been held over the past 15 days and will continue for the next five days indicate the readiness of the Iranian Armed Force in all arenas.

Bagheri went on to say that Iran is not seeking to launch any offence, but made it clear that any hostile move against Iran will face a strong response "with maximum power and in the shortest time".

Various classes of long-range ballistic missiles were launched in the final stage of the drills on Saturday morning to detonate the hypothetical enemy’s warships from a distance of 1,800 kilometers north of the Indian Ocean. 

IRGC chief Hossein Salami said on Saturday one of the military exercise’s goals is to be able to target “enemy war vessels” including aircraft carriers.

On Friday, the IRGC fired dozens of “next-generation” missiles in central Iran that hit their land targets.

“This is the roaring sound of a large number of the Guard’s ballistic missiles, which have this time been equipped with detachable warheads and can be guided outside the Earth’s atmosphere,” the national TV said as a barrage of missiles was launched.
Shortly after, the IRGC also tested “suicide drones”, that were shown to hit a variety of land targets.

AJ/PA