The military exercises involving land and air combat forces will begin Saturday in several border provinces where anti-government protests have been most rampant.
We must show the enemies the Islamic Republics military capability, the deputy commander of the regular armed forces, Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani, told reporters.
Ashtiani said that the manoeuvres, code-named Zolfaghar, will be in support the policies of the government and in particular the Foreign Ministry, a possible reference to the militarys backing for the theocratic states nuclear program.
He specifically mentioned the provinces of East and West Azerbaijan, Khorassan, Kurdistan, and Sistan-va-Baluchestan as regions where the manoeuvres will take place.
Among items which will be put on display in the military drills are armour-piercing bullets manufactured by the Defence Industries Organisation, affiliated to the Ministry of Defence, he said.
Ashtiani said that the armed forces were ready to thwart all plots against the Islamic Republic, adding that no army in the world could match Irans regular armed forces, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and its affiliated organs.
Iran has a dual military system with a regular armed forces as well as the IRGC. Both report directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
