A military parade involving the army as well as the naval and air and space forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, Iran's elite military units) began Thursday at the tomb of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, in Tehran and across the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). According to IRNA news agency, the parade is timed to coincide with the Sacred Defense Week, which began the day before on the anniversary of the 1980 Iran-Iraq armed conflict.
Traditionally, these days, Iran hosts events designed to demonstrate the country's military potential, including a military equipment parade in Tehran and warships in Bandar Abbas. In addition, representatives of the armed forces and IRGC leaders report on the implementation of defense projects and the latest achievements of the national defense industry.
The day before, IRGC spokesman General Ramezan Sharif said 1,444 IRGC warships, including the latest patrol catamaran Shahid Suleimani, will be on display at the naval base in Bandar Abbas and in the Strait of Hormuz.
"The sacred defense marked the beginning of a new life for the Iranian nation called to make history and contribute to changing the global balance of power," IRNA quoted Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran's Chief of General Staff, as saying at the parade. - "The sacred defense has proved to everyone that in order to live with dignity and enjoy security, comfort and progress, one must be strong and powerful and fight back. Our military power is only for defense, and now the air, land, sea and space are witnesses to the growing power of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
"As we have repeatedly stated, we will not tolerate changes in the region's borders, and we advise the two countries, Azerbaijan and Armenia, to solve their problems by peaceful means and through dialogue," noted the Chief of General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces. - "We don't unleash conflicts and wars, but we are not silent when they start. We want the region to be free of threats and full of friendship and cooperation in West Asia."
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Photo: آرش (Arche)/Creative Commons 3.0
Based on materials from TASS