Iranian coast guards have launched a large-scale military exercise along the shores of the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean.
The massive drill, dubbed Mohammad Rasulullah 2 (Prophet Mohammad 2), kicked off during a ceremony in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Wednesday, with Iran’s police chief Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Radan and several military commanders in attendance.
The drill involves naval units from the country’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan as well as the southern provinces of Bushehr and Hormozgan.
Commander of the Iranian Border Guards Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Goudarzi explained that the exercise aims to strengthen cooperation and coordination among coast guards, stressing that dozens of marine units, coastal patrol teams and various border guard forces are participating in it.
It will also seek to boost the combat capabilities of Iranian border guard forces, and improve security along Iran’s maritime borders in the region, he said.
Iranian military forces hold routine exercises according to a detailed schedule in various parts of the country in order to test their weaponry and equipment and evaluate their combat preparedness.
Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.
