Members of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and the volunteer Basij forces held a massive military parade at the Mausoleum of Imam Khomeini in southern Tehran for Sacred Defense Week, which is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of the beginning of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
Iran’s Sacred Defense Week begins on September 22, which is the day Iraq invaded Iran and began the imposed war on the country in 1980.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi inaugurated the ceremony, during which Iran’s military technology, including the Sejjil advanced ballistic missile, was put on display.
The two-stage Sejjil missile, which has a range of 2000 kilometers, is powered by solid fuel, allowing it to strike its target at high speed. These features, along with its anti-radar shields, make the missile almost undetectable.
Iran’s first domestically manufactured long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), called the Karrar, was also displayed during the ceremony. The Karrar was successfully tested on August 22.
Firouzabadi delivered a speech in which he dismissed the resolutions that the United Nations Security Council has issued against Iran over its nuclear program.
He also underscored the strategic role of the Iranian Armed Forces in defending the country, saying, “If we neglect the Armed Forces, the enemy will catch us off guard.”
In response to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent remarks, in which she expressed concern about Iran’s military might, Firouzabadi said the only role of Iran’s military is “to defend our country against foreign aggressors.”
On the sidelines of the military parade, Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi hailed Iran’s military capabilities and said the Iranian Armed Forces are fully capable of thwarting any threats against the country.
Salehi also commended the defense capabilities of the Iranian Navy.
He added that the second generation of the Jamaran, Iran’s first domestically manufactured destroyer, will soon be built.
Any attempt to launch a strike against the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be thwarted, he said.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi stated that a large number of short-range anti-aircraft missiles and an armada of flying boats will be delivered to the Iranian military during Sacred Defense Week.
Vahidi said the development of a new version of the Fateh 110 missiles shows the West’s sanctions against the Islamic Republic have been ineffective.
In a ceremony on Tuesday, the first consignment of the third generation of Fateh 110 missiles was delivered to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.
HJ/HG
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MNA
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