Iran tonight (Monday) announced a major military exercise that includes the arms of the sea, the land and the Revolutionary Guards. The exercise will focus on a drone fighter and hundreds of aircraft are expected to take part in it, the official news agency in the country “Iran” reported.
The news agency stated that the drones that will participate in the exercise are made in Iran and are used for intelligence and attack purposes. It was also reported that the exercise would be held in Samanan province in the northwest of the country and in other border areas.
The news agency reported that the Iranian military is expected to unveil several new models of drones and ancillary systems made by Iran’s military industry.
The choice to hold the exercise in a time of growing tension between the United States and Iran, when in the background of Tehran’s threats of retaliation to mark the anniversary of the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani, can be interpreted as an Iranian show of strength against the United States and the West.
Taking over ships and increasing uranium enrichment
The Reuters news agency claims that what is behind the Iranian operation is not a concern for the environment, but an attempt to put pressure on Seoul to release nearly seven billion Iranian-owned Iran, which are frozen in the country’s banks due to US sanctions on Tehran.
Iran has taken control of a South Korean tanker in the middle of the sea
South Korea was furious at the Iranian operation and demanded that Tehran immediately release the crew and ship. A South Korean Foreign Ministry statement said a naval robbery force had been sent to the area of the incident.
This week, the South Korean deputy prime minister is expected to visit Tehran, and the Iranians want to engage, among other things, in thawing the funds held in South Korea. Seoul has so far refused to discuss the issue with the Tehran authorities. The Fifth US Navy, based in Bahrain, told Reuters they were following developments.