Iran drills prepare it to counter threats by US, Israel: Pundit

Press TV has conducted an interview with Seyyed Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a political commentator from Tehran, about the massive defense maneuvers held by Iranian Basij volunteer forces in Tehran.

Following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Talk to us about the significance of these drills and the message that they harbor.

Khoshcheshm: Ever since Iran started the Revolution, it has been under various sanctions. During the war with Iraq, Iran was under sanctions and it had to develop its own arms industry. So, what happened, Iran developed its own arms program little by little and at the time of war Iran started testing them during the war, but after the war it needed war games in order to test these new weapons and weapons systems, radar systems, missile systems. There are some features that both equipments that you have and the forces should have in order to say that they are prepared. There are three various features, namely agility movement and mobility of equipment and forces. And these war games right now, they are dedicated to boosting the agility movement and, of course, the movement and mobility of the forces and … enhancing coordination and tactics and improve the capability of the forces in Tehran and all throughout the country. So, Iran stages various drills every year in order to boost the preparedness of its military forces, army, IRGC and Basij, especially because we are always under threat by the US and especially the Israeli regime that every other day pose a threat to Iran. So, Iran has to keep the military preparedness including the three features that I said both with regards to its equipment and with regards to its forces at the highest level possible.

Press TV: And another important factor and aspect of these drills not just the drills today but other drills that the Islamic Republic conducts is a fact that almost all the equipment that has put on display is indigenously built and domestically manufactured.

Khoshcheshm: Yes, that’s true because we have been under sanctions for more than 35 years now. We have developed various missile systems, radar systems. Just a few days ago, Iran announced the mass production of two new radar systems. And also we all remember that Iran has a contract with Russia, which happens to be a good friend and partner of Iran, but they did not supply it to Iran, and Iran had to develop its own Bavar-373 missile shield with better features and equipment, according to the commanders that they announced publicly and said that with regard to the same three features that I said - agility, mobility and movement in deployment and transfer - this Bavar-373 has better capabilities. And that’s why the Russians announced after Mr. Putin announced that he would supply the system to Iran just a few months ago. They said that they now have to improve the features and capabilities of their own S-300 missile shield to supply to Iran, otherwise, Iran would not accept it. These sanctions have helped Iran develop its own weapons program and technology, and it has caused a wide stride in Iran’s homegrown technology.

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