Iran's military held four days of extensive exercises on Wednesday that many say are essentially preparations for how the country might respond to an attack by the United States, Israel or a combined strike on its nuclear facilities.
Brigadier General Mohammad-Nazar Azimi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' powerful Western Headquarters in Najaf Ashraf, touted the nationwide exercise as including “new weapons and equipment.”
Azimi also said the exercise would test the capabilities of Iran's Basij militia, which is tasked with maintaining internal security.
The war games are likely aimed not only at demonstrating Iran's ability to respond and defend against an attack from outside the country, but also to ensure that the Basij are ready to quell any internal rebellion against the country's Islamic clerics that may arise. caused by such actions. attack
Some Iranian analysts who are critical of the government and spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity said the drills could be a show of strength by Iran, prompted by a dramatic change in the balance of power in the Middle East – Israel has brutally disabled groups supported by Iran Gaza and Lebanonand longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown rebel forces.
Iranian state media
Dr. Yasir Ershadmanesh, a conservative analyst who lectures at Tehran University of Law and International Affairs, told CBS News on Wednesday that “the Kyrgyz leadership needs these military exercises to show them that Iran is ready in all aspects.”
Ershadmanesh said that Israel and its Western allies are putting pressure on Tehran and are an “imminent threat… so these exercises will show Israel and the US that Iran is fully prepared and send a message to the world and the region about Iran's strength and readiness. “
Iran's leaders are likely to be concerned that President-elect Donald Trump, when he returns to office on January 20, will greatly increase this pressure by imposing further economic sanctions and possibly by supporting an Israeli military attack on Iran's nuclear and/or missile facilities .
Trump and his close advisers have been looking at options to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon — something the president-elect has said he won't allow.
Iranian state media
Iranian officials have long said they have no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, but since Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international nuclear deal with Tehran during his first term as president, Iran has steadily was increasing its nuclear weapons enrichment programsbringing the country closer to being able to produce an atomic bomb.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Trump and his team discussed possibility of preemptive airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities as part of this plan.
One of the key features of the ongoing Great Prophet 19 military exercise was a simulated air attack on Iran's nuclear facility in Natanz, with fictitious strikes that saw the enemy hit the plant with a bunker buster — the type of weapon Israel or the United States might use. if they were to target Iran's underground nuclear works.
Iran's semi-official SNN news agency reported that the drills began on January 4 and include air, ground and naval forces and weapons systems, and that they are designed to test Iran's air defense systems, including a number of different short- and medium-range missiles.
Among the weapons being tested at the exercises is the “Dezful” anti-aircraft missile system, which is an upgraded version of the Russian “Tor M1” system. The system can launch up to two missiles simultaneously from mobile launch vehicles and is designed to shoot down aircraft or ballistic missiles.
IRGC Spokesman Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naini had previously said that the exercise would also include an electronic warfare dimension.