Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday launched a large-scale military exercise in southern Iran which it was the largest of its kind in the region. The war game, codenamed Payambar-e Azam 14 (The Great Prophet 14), was conducted in the southern province of Hormozgan, western parts of the Strait of Hormuz.
The launches came a day after the Guards struck a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier with volleys of missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for a fifth of world oil output.
In the drills, the IRGC's Navy and Aerospace Forces carried out joint operations in which vessels, drones, missile and radar units were involved.
To know more about the significance of Iran's military achievements and the ware game, we reached out to American analyst and columnist Stephen Lendman.
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Commenting on Iran's defense industry progress in recent years, Lendman said, "On the issue of Iran’s defense capabilities, the one positive thing about US sanctions war on the country is it’s made it much more self-reliant. When this storm passes as it will one day, Iran will be a more major player on the world stage than already."
"In contrast, the US is declining. Its spending on US militarism, war-making, corporate welfare, and police state harshness come at the expense of eroding public services. The disparity between rich and most others in America is widening, poverty the leading growth industry in the world’s richest country. The myth of American exceptionalism, the indispensable state, an illusory moral superiority, and military supremacy persists despite hard evidence debunking these notions. The US was at the height of its power post-WW II, maintained for some years in the post-war era, decline beginning and continuing in recent decades, notably post-9/11. It’s the same dynamic dooming all other empires in history – a nation in decline because of its imperial arrogance, hubris, waging endless wars against invented enemies, and its unwillingness to change," he added.
Pentagon wants no part of a war on Iran, knowing they’ll be significant US casualties and destruction of its regional capabilities"I’ve said many times that it would be madness for the US to attack Iran militarily because it’s a nation able to hit back hard against an aggressor, making it pay a big price for its actions. I strongly believe the Pentagon wants no part of a war on Iran, knowing they’ll be significant US casualties and destruction of its regional capabilities," Lendman stressed.
He went on to say, "At the same time, hardline lunatics in Washington make anything possible. Trump is a geopolitical know-nothing. I worry about figures like Pompeo. He manipulates Trump and I believe he’s mentally unbalanced. He also has future presidential ambitions."
"Hopefully, Iran’s significant military capabilities will prevent a US attack and contribute to eventual regional peace and stability," Lendman highlighted.
Iran’s significant military capabilities will prevent a US attack and contribute to eventual regional peace and stability"Israel of course is another major threat and it’s run by its own lunatic fringe. The reason why the US wants Iran’s ballistic missile program undermined is because it can inflict major retaliatory strikes on US forces and Israel if Iran is attacked by an aggressor," he noted, adding, "Israel is especially vulnerable because it’s small. Despite its nuclear arsenal, I believe it’s no match militarily against Iran except in cahoots with the US."
"On the one hand, Israel does nothing major geopolitically without US permission. It also would never on its own attack a nation like Iran that’s able to hit back hard — unless aided by the US," Lendman said.
Interview by Zahra Mirzafarjouyan