TEHRAN — Iran’s Parliament has lauded a recent military exercise, dubbed Zolfaqar-99, by the Army as a success for showcasing the Iranian military’s capabilities.

In a statement on Wednesday, the lawmakers said that the military exercise successfully tested a variety of key weapons and equipment, such as submarines, drones, and missiles.

The Iranian Army on Saturday concluded a three-day joint military exercise, which kicked off in Iran’s southern waters.

According to the MPs, the exercise was conducted based on the Islamic Republic’s military strategies to evaluate the latest achievements of the defense industry.

“The exercise tested Iran’s offensive capabilities, operational and combat capabilities as well as the strength and speed of movement and transfer of the forces,” the statement read, according to Mehr.

The lawmakers also pointed out that the defense power of the Islamic Republic rests on seeking peace and stability in West Asia and that the message of the Zolfaqar-99 drill was also peace and stability for neighboring countries.

“We, the Iranian representatives, on behalf of the clever people of Iran, appreciate and support the sincere and tireless efforts of the commanders, officers, and soldiers of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular the commander of the Army,” the statement added.

The three-day war game showcased some of the latest achievements of the Army’s units, which were produced to counter the threats by Iran’s enemies.

A variety of surface and subsurface submarine units of the Navy, such as destroyers, missile launchers and the Tariq, Ghadir and Fateh-class submarines displayed their strength on Saturday.

On Thursday, F-27 and P3F aircraft as well as reconnaissance drones conducted naval patrols to monitor the drills.

Iran’s F-4 fighter-bombers conducted long-range flights from their bases to attend the war game. They destroyed surface targets using optimized precision strike missiles. The F-4 Phantoms stroke at mobile targets at sea and bombed their designated targets on the coast.

On Friday, the Army successfully fired an anti-ship coast-to-sea cruise missile, dubbed “Qader”, at a mock enemy vessel over 200 kilometers from the coast.

Another anti-ship cruise missile, dubbed “Nasr”, was fired from the Najm missile boat to hit designated target in the southern waters of Iran.

The Army’s first combat drone, named “Kaman-12”, also conducted surveillance operations during the joint military exercise.

Iran has repeatedly stated that its military power is only for deterrence, saying its military power is defensive in nature and does not pose any threats to other countries.

MH/PA