Iran Holds its Largest-Ever War Drills

'Biggest war game' begins day after Tehran cleric threatened Tel Aviv

Posted: November 22, 2009
4:15 pm Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

JERUSALEM – Iran began today what it said was its largest-ever military drill meant to protect the country's scattered nuclear sites, state-run Iranian media reported.

The drill comes one day after a senior Iranian cleric warned the Islamic Republic will strike Tel Aviv with missiles if attacked.

"If the enemy should want to test its bad luck in Iran, before the dust from its missiles settles in this country, Iran's ballistic missiles would land in the heart of Tel Aviv," said cleric Mojtaba Zolnour, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Brigadier-General Ahmad Mighani told Iran's Fars news agency military drills will begin today and will last five days. He said the drills will cover 600,000 square kilometers (230,000 square miles) in parts of central, western and southern Iran.

Mighani said the drills involve Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and other military units and that the exercises will simulate a real attack on Iran's nuclear installations.
 
The official Islamic Republic News Agency said yesterday the war drills would be "huge."

Mighani was quoted calling the drills "the biggest war game."

"The aim of the drill is to display Iran's combat readiness and military potentials," Mighani said.

"Defense policies, psychological operations and innovations during the war game are among the objectives of the drills," he added.