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Iran launches missile war games
07/02/2007 10:40 - (SA)
Tehran - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards launched a new two-day air and naval war game on Wednesday, aimed at testing missile defences at a time of rising tension with the West, state television reported.
It said missile units of the Revolutionary Guards navy and air force would be carrying out the exercises in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
The naval exercise named Raad (Thunder) was aimed at "enhancing the defensive capabilities" and preserving the readiness of the naval force's missile unit, the IRNA agency reported.
The goal of the air force war game named Saegheh (Thunderbolt) was also to "consolidate the defensive and operational capabilities" of the missile unit, it added.
Equipment used to monitor incoming enemy missiles would be tested and missiles would also be test-fired, the agency said, without giving the names of the weapons.
Iran's leaders have repeatedly said its armed forces are ready for any eventuality in the current standoff with the West over its nuclear programme.
Although the United States has said it wants the standoff solved through diplomacy, Washington has never ruled out military action to thwart Iran's atomic drive.
The United States accuses Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, a charge vehemently denied by Tehran which insists its atomic programme is peaceful in nature.
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