Commander of Iran’s Army Ground Forces Brigadier General Kiumars Heidari said at a press conference on Thursday that his forces will stage large-scale military drills code-named ‘Eghtedar 97’ on Friday, covering a vast area in the central province of Isfahan.
Heidari told reporters that as many as 12,000 troops will exercise new offensive tactics consistent with structural changes to the Army Ground Forces.
The commander explained that the Army Ground Forces have undergone new changes in their structure at the behest of the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Armed Forces (Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.)
He further added that his troops have adopted an offensive approach and have changed the structure of the units according to the operational requirements.
Commander of Iran’s Army Ground Forces elaborated more on the new changes, saying agility and quick movement of the ground forces in a timely manner is one of the exercises that will be carried out in the war games. He added that quick transfer of troops from more than 1,030 km away to the battlefield in the shortest possible time will be exercised during the drills tomorrow.
He said that the two features of ‘quick movement’ and ‘high offensive skills’ have always been highlighted by the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Armed Forces.
The commander also noted that domestically-produced military equipment will be used in the war games. He added that in the drill a variety of military equipment, which have been developed by the Iranian military experts in line with the instructions of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution will be used by his forces.
He further underlined that the message of consecutive ‘Eghtedar’ war games to the friends of the Islamic Republic is that they should be proud of the strength of the Iranian army and its ground forces as the Army of Islam.
Heidari added that the message of the military drills to the enemies, however, is to warn them that the Iranian army is ready more than ever to face off any aggressor under the commander of the Leader.
MNA/4522536