Top Commander: US Largest Military Aid to Israel Prompts Iran's Bolstering Defense Power

Rasa - Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri underlined that the United States' largest military aid package in its history ($3.8bln) to Israel has persuaded Iran to further advance and increase its defense power.

News ID: 423766

Date: 21 September 2016 - 14:20

RNA - "The criminal (US') move to sign an agreement to present a supportive military package to the Zionist regime is a desperate attempt to protect the security vacuum of the regime and makes us more determined to increase our military power," General Baqeri said, addressing nationwide military parades of the Iranian Armed Forces in Tehran and other cities on Wednesday.

The top commander stressed that Iran will continue designing and building different defense systems and equipment for the naval, ground and air force units as well as producing different types of missiles, reiterating that the country's military tests and wargames will also continue according to the timeline.

General Baqeri underscored that Iran is precisely monitoring enemies' moves, and said the Armed Forces analyze and foil the regional and trans-regional enemies' moves before hostile actions are taken.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers regional security and stability as its own security and doesn’t have any greedy eyes on others' territories and is no threat to any regional state," he added.

Various units of the Islamic Republic Army, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Law Enforcement Police and Basij (volunteer) forces staged nationwide parades in Tehran and other cities across the country on Wednesday morning.

In Tehran, the ceremony took place at the mausoleum of the Founder of the Islamic Republic, the Late Imam Khomeini, South of the capital.

The parades mark the start of the Sacred Defense Week, commemorating Iranians' sacrifices during the 8 years of the Iraqi imposed war on Iran in 1980s.

Different units of Iran's military forces marched in uniform before top Army and IRGC commanders in a show of military might and defensive power.

The ceremony was participated by senior military and government officials as well as foreign diplomats, military attaches and reporters.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is absent in this year parades as he has traveled to New York to participate in the annual UN General Assembly meeting.

Typical units of the Islamic Republic Army, the IRGC, Basij forces and the Islamic Republic of Iran's Law Enforcement Police participated in the parades.

Foreign delegates as well as military and civilian officials were also present in the ceremony. Ranking commanders of the Armed Forces also took part in the ceremony.

The latest military and defense achievements made by Iranian experts were put on display at the parades, including the long-range Qadr F missile system with a range of 2,000km, Sejjil missile system with a range of 2,000km, Qadr H missile system with a range of 1,650km, Emad missile system with a range of 1,650km, Qassed smart bombs, Qaem, Nasr, Fakour 90 and a range of air-launched missiles, torpedoes, sea-based and coast-to-sea missiles.

Scores of other new products including different types of modernized tanks, armors, missile and rocket launchers, electronic, communications and CentCom systems as well as the long-range S-200 and S-300 air defense missile systems, mid-range Shalamche and Mersad missile systems and various naval vessels and coast and sea-based weapons systems went on display in the parades in the Southern port city of Bandar Abbas today.

The most important military product that went into display today was Zolfaqar Multiple Re-entry Vehicle.

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