TEHRAN - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy kicked off large-scale war games in on several Persian Gulf islands with the purpose of increasing readiness to defend them. 

The military exercises spanned the Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Naze'at, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb islands.

The purpose of the naval war game, named after late IRGC General ‘Eshaq Dara’, is to “display the IRGC Navy’s might as well as combat and defense preparedness in protecting the Persian Gulf security and the Iranian islands”, the IRGC said, according to Tasnim. 

Various units of the IRGC Navy, including the combat, naval, missile, drone, rapid reaction, electronic warfare and airborne units, backed by the IRGC Aerospace Force, exercise a range of military tactics in the war game.

The IRGC has deployed the ‘Fath’ and ‘Qadir’ missile systems on the Iranian islands, including Abu Musa.

An IRGC Navy commander said the vessels of ‘Hojaji Special Unit’ have been, for the first time, furnished with missiles with a range of 600 kilometers to ensure the security of Abu Musa and the other Iranian islands.

The IRGC Navy has also employed missile-launching speedboats that reach a velocity of 90 knots, unmanned aerial vehicles, artificial intelligence-powered remotely operated naval vessels, amphibious aircraft, and precision-strike naval ballistic missiles in the exercise.

Also, drones and saildrones equipped with Artificial Intelligence were employed in the exercises, according to IRNA. 

IRGC chief commander General Hossein Salami, and IRGC Navy commander General Alireza Tangsiri attended the kick-off ceremony of the drills on Abu Musa. 
General Salami also delivered remarks at the ceremony. He said as long as the hands of the Iranian troops are on the trigger, the country is safe. He also underlined the importance of Iran’s territorial integrity. 

He said Iran attaches high importance to its borders and independence. 

General Tangsiri also underlined the importance of the Persian Gulf islands, saying they are Iran’s honor. 

“The Persian Gulf islands are the honor of the great Islamic nation of Iran and we, the children of this zealous nation are obliged to defend our honors,” Tangsiri said.