Iran to hold 3-day military drills from Monday despite U.S. warnings

The ‘Grand Prophet 11’ exercises are to demonstrate Tehran’s “complete preparedness to deal with threats.”

In this December 29, 2016 photo, a long-range S-200 missile is fired in a military drill held by Iran in the port city of Bushehr. That launch invited a stern warning from the U.S., which said it was putting Iran “on notice.” But the Islamic Republic seems to be unfazed as it announced a fresh 3-day military manoeuvre called ‘Grand Prophet 11’ starting from Monday.

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard is to conduct military drills next week, a senior commander announced on Saturday, despite warnings from the United States and fresh sanctions over a ballistic missile test.

“The manoeuvres called ‘Grand Prophet 11’ will start Monday and last three days,” General Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the force’s ground units, told a news conference. He said rockets would be used without specifying which kind.

In early February, Iran conducted drills involving short-range missiles at a time of heightened tensions with the United States.

The Islamic republic said the exercises were aimed at demonstrating Iran’s “complete preparedness to deal with the threats” and “humiliating sanctions” from Washington.

U.S.’s fresh curbs

U.S. President Donald Trump slapped fresh sanctions against Tehran’s weapons procurement network following a ballistic missile test on January 29.

“Iran would do well to look at the calendar and realise there’s a new President in the Oval Office. And Iran would do well not to test the resolve of this new President,” U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence said earlier this month.

New Pentagon chief James Mattis, for his part, has branded Iran “the single biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world.”

Iranian officials have rejected the threats emphasising that the missile programme is purely defensive.