Navy commander details Iran's military capabilities

Text of interview Hoseyn Nikpur/the Political Desk headlined "Our defence potential is beyond enemy's comprehension" published by Iranian newspaper Jaam-e Jam on 28 August

Under normal circumstances many might believe that it would not be prudent to engage in discussions about war and possible attacks [on the country] in an interview with a military official. But when an American military official issues threats and openly indicates that the plan to attack Iran is ready, one becomes curious to find out how our country's officials respond to these threats. Although, the high-ranking officials in our country have already reacted to such threats in the last few days, it would be interesting to hear a military official talking in some details about how the Islamic Republic of Iran would react to any possible aggression against the country. The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy [IRGCN] describes our country's capabilities on the sea and discusses our enemy's military weaknesses and vulnerabilities in an interview with Jam-e Jam [Online]. He also calls on the enemy to review the incidents that took place in the years 1366 and 1367 [1987 and 1988]. [IRGC Navy Commander-in-Chief] Ali Fadavi emphasizes that given its [current] capabilities, the Islamic Republic of Iran is able to create situations [sic] in the case of any aggression against the country.

The full account of this interview is as follows:

[Hoseyn Nikpur] What are the capabilities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy compared to those of the other countries in and outside the region?

[Ali Fadavi] The capabilities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy are based on four pillars or foundations. One is the capabilities of the IRGC naval vessels, and naturally this constitutes the main pillar of our capabilities. The reason is that the domain of our activity is the sea and vessels are the main factor in this capability. As the extension of this capacity, we have the air-sea capabilities. The air-sea capabilities include crafts that are used on the sea but move above the surface such as choppers, flying vessels, and different types of hovercraft. In addition to these air-sea capabilities, we also have a host of surface-to-sea missiles and the marines. All these combined make up the four pillars of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. Naturally, alongside these set of operational capabilities, there are various support systems that make operations possible. For example, to have a successful operation, it is important to have access to accurate information. So, there is host of preparation, maintenance, engineering, reconnaissance, and communication networks that provide support and make operations possible. Our operational assets as far as the vessels are concerned are comprised of a complete combination of Ashura, Tariq, and Zolfaghar class vessels which are quite large in numbers. These vessels, in fact, form the main body of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. Of course, we also have larger vessels with missile launching capabilities as well as logistic and patrol ships, but Ashura, Tariq, and Zolfaghar class vessels make up the bulk of our operational assets. These vessels are

divided into different categories according to their capabilities whether they fire missiles, torpedoes, or rockets. There are also special vessels [sic] which are used to lay mines. One of the main characteristics of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy is that it has always been at the centre of attention is the availability of a very large number of vessels in every class and category. When you look at other countries' navies, you would see that they only have a limited number of vessels with missile launching capabilities. Even in a large country such as the US, the warships make up about 50 per cent, or even less than 50 per cent, of all the vessels of the navy. They have about 500 vessels, and out of this number about 270 are warships. Meanwhile, it is interesting to note that the US military is the most powerful military in the world.

It is not like that we have a limited number of vessels with missile firing capabilities in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. The number of vessels in this service is in fact very large. We have hundreds of vessels of every class at our disposal. These vessels, besides being available in large numbers, have also another characteristic and that is, they are as small as they could be. Being small is a very important factor on the sea, which has many benefits. For instance, it is very difficult for the radar and electronic systems to keep good track of these vessels. They also make difficult targets, and missile systems are not able to hit these small vessels. In fact, because of their small size, they are less vulnerable and more immune to the enemy's fire power. On the other hand, we have speed criteria for our vessels; they are very fast, and their speed is more than twice that of the maximum speed of the warships in the world. This provides our vessels with a special capability. It allows them to arrive at the battle scene very quickly and display a high fire power with the aid of their weapon systems, which include missiles and torpedoes. Furthermore, the range of our vessels, despite their small size, is such that it enables us to cover all the regions that we are responsible for and to be [actively] present at the scene of possible battle[s] and confront the enemy.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Your comments shed some light on the reasons for why the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy has favoured small vessels. Given these reasons, don't we have any plans to produce large vessels?

[Ali Fadavi] Large vessels do not have a place in the main organization of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. The reason is that large vessels are vulnerable; choosing large vessels means that you play in the enemy's court and under his rules. The enemy's great facility in dealing with the large vessels deprives your vessels in many cases even from participating in the battles, and naturally, it would not be able to make use of its capabilities. You are faced with this problem at a time that, from a material point of view, our enemies appear to have the greatest military capabilities in the history [of the world]. Under such circumstances, we cannot play in their court and arm ourselves according to the terms they define. We have to define our own terms and define them according to our own parameters. Our hopes and objectives, the threats that we are facing, our geography, our technology, our industry, our economy, and other characteristics that our country has all play a role in deciding what arms we need and how we should equip ourselves. The way that our enemies define their military [organization] does not have much to do with the countries such as ours and other

similar countries. Even if you look at the situation from an economic point of view, you see that with the money that is required to have a big warship you can often build and have a thousand small vessels. Meanwhile, there is no comparison between the operational capabilities of one big warship and those of those thousand vessels.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Recently, you have announced that the speedy Bladerunner vessel that the Islamic Republic of Iran has armed with missiles will enter service from 1390 [2011], could you describe these vessels and explain how Iran has obtained them?

[Ali Fadavi] This is a vessel that is used in boat races, and we have obtained it from the UK. This vessel's speed is about 72 knots (140 kilometres per hour). Meanwhile, the average speed of regular warships in the world is around 30 knots. Therefore, arming these crafts with missile and torpedo systems is a big leap forward in the development of these vessels. What is important here is that, everywhere in the world, including in the UK and the US, these crafts are used as speed boats in boat races. What gives these craft a different identity is what we have done with them. This craft with its high speed and extraordinary balance assumes a different role when armed with a missile system. The importance of the new role that this craft can play is such that it caused the president of the US to express concern sometime ago about our ability to achieve that capability.

When the vessel was en route to Iran about one and half year ago, it was surrounded by the US Navy warships in the Indian Ocean about 650 miles outside of [the Iranian port of] Chahbahar. It was surrounded by these US warships from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Finally, after our forces appeared on the scene, the American warships left the area and the Bladerunner vessel reached to the country. Although, this incident happened about a year and half ago, it is interesting that the president of the US has expressed concern about it only recently. This shows that they are not as fully informed of all the issues as they claim to be; this is not the case at all.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] The American military threats against our country have always been present, albeit with different degrees of intensity, and have never been taken off the table. Recently, these threats have somewhat increased. As a military official, how seriously do you take these threats and how do they affect your calculations?

[Ali Fadavi] It is not important at all to us what is going on inside their head[s]. What is important is that we are in a state of full preparedness and constantly improving and becoming [even] more prepared. I think, we have often seen similar conditions and have been the target of psychological operations at different junctures in the last few years. At one point, they even named 19 different areas in Iran and said that these areas would be attacked. But they never dared to take the least of action against us. I think there is no comparison between our conditions today, our capabilities and power of deterrence, and those of the previous years. Our enemies are aware of many of these things.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Have these threats affected the political line ups [sic] of our arm forces in any way? For instance, has the transfer of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy [IRGCN] units to Bandar Abbas been due to these threats?

[Ali Fadavi] Generally speaking, presence on the scene is a principal consideration. The transfer of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy units to Bandar Abbas was ordered by the Exalted Supreme Leader sometime ago. During the early days of my mission in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy, we began the preliminary preparations for the transfer of the IRGCN units to Bandar Abbas and then we transferred the forces.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] At the present time, which countries besides Iran are playing a role in providing security at the Strait of Hormuz?

[Ali Fadavi] We have all the necessary parameters to provide security and control the region in the best possible way, be that the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz. We have complete military and deterrence capabilities. We also possess capabilities that the region's geography, energy, and human resources of the Islamic Republic as well as its cultural and historical capacities put at our disposal. In short, we have all the capabilities that are needed to provide security [in this region].

Naturally, these capabilities bring security for us and the countries in this region, and this is very different from the objectives that the foreigners are pursuing in the region. The objectives that the foreigners are pursuing are not legitimate and have nothing to do with the [interests of the] countries in the region. Instead, their presence in the region is merely due to the desire to control the world and for the purpose of putting pressure on the countries in this region. In our view, the countries in this region share all the same geography and have many religious and cultural commonalities. Our interests and those of the other countries in the region are the same, but this is not true in the case of our enemies. Our enemies have proved their enmity towards us and also towards the other countries in the region. They, in fact, do not honour the sovereignty of the countries in the region and do whatever they want in some of the countries in this area.

The capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran and what it is able to accomplish enable it to confront the actions of the enemies that come from outside this region. When it comes to the countries in the region, our strategies are based on the notion of collective security. However, when it comes to our enemies, the strategy is the decisive confrontation.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] My question is that: besides the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy, do other countries in the region actively participate in providing security in the region?

[Ali Fadavi] Currently, there is a trend of cooperation between us and the other countries in the region. We have comprehensive relations with some of the countries in the region, which also has a military dimension. Military representatives from different countries participated in the military exercises that we had at the beginning of the year.

This shows that we have relations and dealings with these countries at the highest levels, which is a military relationship.

Of course, because of some influences and pressures that sometimes come from the countries outside of this region, we experience some ups and downs in these relations as well and sometimes there are even some statements. For instance, recently the ambassador from one of the countries in the region to the US made some foolish remarks. But that country's officials reacted to those remarks even before we did and rapidly took back those statements denying their validity. So, we are also faced with such things. But these are inconsequential. What is important and real is the strong commonalities between us and the people in the region.

We all believe in the same religion and share the same geography. We have the same interests and face the same threats. We share many of our oil and gas fields with the countries that are at the southern shores of the Persian Gulf. In fact, we and the other countries in the region drink water from the same glass. In such situation, it is the commonalities that at the end define the reality of our relations. Some unsuitable stances that we see on rare occasions are due to the mischievous interferences by the countries outside of the region that are pursuing their own interests.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] You had indicated at someplace that, in case of the slightest of aggression by the enemies, you will deliver a "very special" and "very appropriate" response. Could you describe the quality of such a response in greater detail?

[Ali Fadavi] We have a saying that says, "You never come to truly appreciate what you hear until you see it." The reason that I mention this saying is that our enemies would never be able to fully understand our defence capabilities until they come to feel it. Of course, they have come to feel that power to some degree in the past. I have pointed out in my remarks before that the value of an American frigate is about one billion dollars. In 1366 [1988] the enemies witnessed the destruction of one of their one-billion-dollar frigates (the guided missile frigate Samuel B. Roberts). The Americans will never forget that incident. The destruction of such a great frigate is not a simple matter and would not be easily forgotten; or the crash of the American chopper during the Persian Gulf War is not something that they would forget. These are all signs that show that the claims that the Americans have made in the past and continue to make today are unfounded. At the time of the Persian Gulf War a new trend had started in the media, and the CNN also had just began its work as a network; so, in order to promote itself, it was trying to have live broadcasts of the events and the developments in the Persian Gulf. It was in this context that the CNN covered the crash of the American chopper and its recovery by the Iranian forces in 1366 [1987-88] in one of its live broadcasts. If you search the CNN archives you can find the pictures there. It would be a good idea for you to look at the news reports for the years 1366 and 1367 [1987-88 and 1988-89] to see what happened between the US and the IRGC Navy. The Americans generally pay great attention to such matters. You will find that, if a nation is determined, it will achieve great capabilities that would enable it to respond to any threats in an appropriate manner. Of course, I recently conducted a study to see where the current US officials

were in 1366 and 1367 [1987-88 and 1988-89] and what were they doing at that time. I noticed that almost all the senior US officials were not doing anything at that time that relates to their current responsibilities. Obama was in the university at that time and was busy with studies and student-related issues. Hillary Clinton, besides being a student [sic], was also busy posturing as a woman trying to make her husband the governor. Besides these issues, what is important is that this geography by itself is a very important deterrent. Therefore, any aggression by our enemies will meet with a decisive military response by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. Of course, there are other organizations and forces in other areas that will also deliver an appropriate response to any act of aggression [against our country].

[Hoseyn Nikpur] In case of individual acts of aggression that can take place, let us say by an enemy vessel, would Iran respond in kind or would it deliver a massive response?

[Ali Fadavi] We are currently in the battlefield, and various situations and conditions exist in such an arena. What is important is that we have great many capabilities that enable us to take the initiative and create situations. Of course, this is a principle for the believers, and the believers must not be affected by the events; instead, they should [take the initiative and] create events by themselves. This is also the situation here. We would take the best possible action in the arena of the conflict. Under certain conditions we might respond in kind to that enemy vessel that has engaged in aggression against us or we might choose to undertake a different course of action under different conditions.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Is it possible that the enemies' military bases on the Persian Gulf shores could come under attack?

[Ali Fadavi] Given the surface-to-sea missile capabilities that are available to us, we can take action against our enemies at sea as well as on the coasts. Also, the surface -to-surface missile capability that is available to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps units having a great range makes it possible for them to hit any target with great precision. No location that belongs to our enemies would ever be secure. It does not make any difference to us whether these targets are in the sea, on the coasts, or on land.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Are you monitoring the US bases in the countries of the region?

[Ali Fadavi] If there is an American base, it does not belong to [text: relate to] the countries in the region. We honour the territories of the countries in the region as we honour our own territory. But when it is said that such and such location is a US base, then it means that that place belongs to the US and, in case of any conflict with the US, we will target the Americans.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] If the American vessels take any action against our country from a location outside the Persian Gulf, can the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy still take action against them?

[Ali Fadavi] Our response is not confined to a specific geography and is not limited to the Persian Gulf. Of course, the geography of the Persian Gulf is very unique, and all these plans are due to the fact that the enemies want to control this geography. Therefore, naturally this place continues to be very important.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Sometime ago some Arab media published news that indicated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has stationed some snipers at the Strait of Hormuz. How much truth is there in these reports?

[Ali Fadavi] These assertions are totally unfounded. Is the Strait of Hormuz 500 meters wide to be protected by snipers? The narrowest point at the Strait of Hormuz, which is between our Lark Island and Oman's Musandam peninsula, is 45 kilometres wide. Therefore, assertions such as these that Iran wants to station snipers there are not well conceived. The longest range that a sniper can cover is two kilometres, and even this range is only possible with new weapons, which of course we have and fully utilize. To protect the Strait of Hormuz we use a complete and appropriate set of mobile surface-to-sea and sea-to-sea missile systems that cover the entire length of the Islamic Republic's coastline (2,000 kilometres) from the Arvand River [on the Iran-Iraq border] to the Pasa Bandar region, the most eastern point of our sea coastline. These [missile] systems with their great range cover the Strait of Hormuz, the entire region of the Persian Gulf, the northern part of the Sea of Oman, as well as some northern regions of the Indian Ocean. These systems are available to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy in great numbers and enable us to hit many targets simultaneously. The important point here is that the Strait of Hormuz serves as a chokepoint for the enemies and the region, and it is only natural for us to use a wide range of the capabilities that are available to us and I pointed out in my remarks to establish security in this area and to act against the enemies that are trying to undermine the region's security. The Americans have claimed to establishing security for a long time, but in the recent years wherever they have gone, they have undermined the security in that area. During the years of [the Iran-Iraq] war they claimed that they had come to the Persian Gulf region to secure the flow of energy, but their actions undermined the very security of what they claimed wanted to protect. At that time, the Americans with the help of Iraqis created conditions in the Persian Gulf that caused about 500 ships to be hit. Is this the security?!

[Hoseyn Nikpur] To which countries did those ships belong?

[Ali Fadavi] These were the ships that were hit during the eight years of the [Iran-Iraq] war. Many of these ships belonged to us and many ships were coming to our country. So naturally, when we were given the mission to retaliate in kind, we targeted ships that were delivering aid or arms to our enemies or were serving the American objectives. What this meant is the absence of security, which was caused by the coming of the Americans to the Persian Gulf. Before the Americans came to the Persian Gulf, the IRGCN (the Noah Base) was one of the three IRGC camps that were engaged in land operations against Iraq. But towards the middle of Karbala 5 operations in Shalamcheh, we became a separate IRGC organization and were sent to the Persian Gulf. We would

have never come to this region if they [the Americans] had not created insecurity in the Persian Gulf. We came to the Persian Gulf only after the Americans came here and directly or indirectly targeted our ships.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] In the recent UN Security Council sanctions against Iran, there is a section that allows other countries to search the Islamic Republic of Iran's ships. Have our ships been searched to date and how would the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy respond to such searches should they take place?

[Ali Fadavi] We have not received any specific reports of such searches of Iranian ships yet. But our specific policy would be to retaliate in kind. That is to say, if an action is taken [against us] we would react immediately and act against any country that searches our ships. We would carry the same action against that country and perhaps do even a little more. There are many ways to react and take action in kind, the dimensions of which would become clear when action is taken. It would depend on the kind of imprudent actions that our enemies might take against us.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Recently there was an incident with a Japanese ship in the Persian Gulf. At first terrorism was ruled out as the cause of this incident, but later the Al-Qa'idah assumed the responsibility for this act. What was the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the incident?

[Ali Fadavi] The issue of the Japanese ship, this was a very suspicious incident. The incident took place in the eastern region of the Strait of Hormuz. We were monitoring the communications of this Japanese vessel from the moment that it stated the situation and called for help. We were listening to all the communications and were fully aware of what was happening. Sometime later the Al-Qa'idah took the responsibility for the incident. The ship was not damaged, and the Omani officials also indicated that the incident was an accident and no attacks were carried out [against the ship]. The pictures that were published also showed no significant damages to the ship. Therefore, it appears that this incident was part of a plot to undermine the security of this region. In my opinion, this is a trend that might continue in future in order to make this region appear being insecure. This is what the Americans did in 1365 [1986-87] in order to establish a stronger presence in the region. But the Americans are no longer able to fabricate incidents and manipulate the reality as they did in the 1360s [1980s]. The reason is that they no longer have the same control over the media that they had in the 1360s [1980s], and also the people of the world have come to see their true nature. Fabricating the reality has now lost its effect, and the US government is no longer able to mislead even its own people by such methods let alone the aware peoples in other parts of the world and especially in the Middle East.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] You mean to say that in your opinion the Americans are using such scenarios because they intend to widen their presence in the Persian Gulf?

[Ali Fadavi] What they are after in reality is to have a greater justification for their presence in the region. They already have a strong presence here in the region, in the

southern Persian Gulf countries, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan. What they actually want is to have a greater pretext or justification for their presence in the region and their continued mischief against us, especially when it comes to waging a psychological war [against the Islamic Republic].

Source: Jam-e Jam website, Tehran, in Persian 28 Aug 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEDel za © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iranian army to hold ground drills on Iraqi border

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 6 June

6 June: Iran's Army commander announces a major military exercise involving five divisions, seven sovereign units, and new domestically-developed weapons systems.

General Amir Purdastan said the expansive drills will be carried out in the southwestern Khuzestan Province as well as the southern portion of the western Ilam Province, ILNA reported Saturday [5 June].

The drills, planned for next September, will showcase innovative military strategies and skills while testing newly developed armaments built by the defence industries of the Iranian Army such as the weaponry that are activated by composite launchers, said Purdastan.

He added that another aim of the manoeuvres is to implement new military skills in a combat theatre with rough terrain.

The Iranian commander noted that some of the weaponry planned for use and testing during the drills include refurbished and upgraded tanks utilizing laser systems, helicopters and pilotless aircrafts.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 0517 gmt 6 Jun 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 060610 ek/eg © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

War game message, Iran "no threat" to regional countries - commander

Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 4 May

[Presenter] The great Velayat war game is to be staged on the forever Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The Velayat war game will be staged tomorrow [5 May] in the

presence of the forces from Navy, Air and the Islamic Republic's Army Aviation Corps on the waters of the Oman Sea and the Indian Ocean.

[Reporter] Following the successful staging of the Prophet war game by the IRGC's Navy force, the [Islamic Republic] Army's Navy will display its power in defending the

land and territorial waters of the country and in providing the security of the ships' traffic by [staging] the great Velayat war game on the azure waters of the Persian Gulf, Sea of

Oman, Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Eden.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] The Velayat war game will be launched on a zone extending over 250,000 square kilometres [starting from] the strategic Hormoz Strait, on the southeast shores of the Islamic Republic, the free waters of the north of the Indian Ocean and the

Sea of Oman to demonstrate the power of the holy Islamic Republic of Iran and [its capacity] to control the traffic of all the ships within the war game's zone; [it will also show Iran's] intelligence dominance over the Sea of Oman and the north of Indian

Ocean. [We also want] to exercise logistical support for the frontline operation in the Gulf of Eden. In this war game, a part of the forces will operate [He refers to a map] in

the blue section and in the orange section [on a map] as our own forces and the enemy's forces. By using appropriate tactics, these forces will try to intercept, detect

and destroy each other and their activities will be assessed. In this war game, units from the ground, navy, and air forces as well as [forces from the] air-defence base of Islamic

Republic Army based in Makran [Sea of Oman] shores - or southeast shores - will participate. Surface and sub-surface units of the Navy force will spread in the region

and will continue their war game mission.

[Reporter] Rear-Adm Sayyari said the message of this war game to friends is peace and security and to the enemy is Iran's ultimate power in defending the borders of the

Islamic Republic.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] Like the messages of all [other past] war games we have staged in the region, the message [of this war game] is a message of peace and friendship for the regional countries. Secondly, we want to let all the neighbouring and regional countries know that we are no threat to any country in the region. Neither are they any threat to

us. We will use our [military] capacity for synergy [with other countries]; it is meant to be used positively in the region. Our message is that the armed forces of the Islamic

Republic are very serious in confronting any type of threat and they will confront any threat firmly.

[Presenter] The commander of Iran Army's Navy Force said that by using new ways in proportion with the threats, the Army's Navy force will demonstrate that it is capable to

be very serious and advanced on free waters.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] A main characteristic of the war game as we have defined is to show how serious the Islamic Republic can be in defending the country's interests in

free waters territory.

[Reporter] Rear-Adm Sayyari said various types of torpedoes and missiles will be launched and surface, sub-surface, air and ground tactics will be used in this war game. He said the Velayat war game will show just part of the power of the navy of the Islamic

Republic Army.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] Missile- launching gunship, cruisers, personnel carrier vessels, logistics warships, submarines of different classes: Tareq, Qadir and Assabe'at [will be

used]. The performance and efficiency of integrated weapons' system [taslihat-e sazmani] and new equipments will be tested and the latest defence achievements such

as Jamaran destroyer and the submarines that have been added to the Army's Navy Force will be applied and tested.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 0930 gmt 4 May 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol ps Iran: Home-made submarines join naval fleet

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 1 June

1 June: Iran's domestically manufactured fleet of lightweight submarines makes great strides after three mid-jet Qadir-class submarines come on stream.

The new home-made submarines were added to Iran's Naval Submarine fleet in southern Bandar Abbas port city on Monday [1 June] in presence of the Commander of

the Iranian Army, Major General Ata'ollah Salehi, Defence Minister Maj. Gen. Mohammad Mostafa-Najjar and senior Iranian navy commander Rear Admiral

Habibollah Sayyari.

The fleet was also equipped with 18 high-speed vessels.

Iran's Navy currently operates Qadir and Nahanq (meaning whale in Persian) submarines.

The Qadir submarine is equipped with the latest military and technological equipment.

The Nahanq submarine, Iran's second home-made submarine, is reportedly one of the country's largest defence projects.

In preparation for any possible act of aggression against the country, Iran is equipping its navy with high-tech weapons system, capable of targeting any vessel within a range

of 300 km (185 miles) from its shores.

Iran has so far developed a number of 'exclusive' equipment such as high-speed missile boats, vessels, lightweight aircraft and stealth micro submarines in a bid to increase

maritime capabilities in deep-sea operations.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1014 gmt 1 Jun 09

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 010609 ea/chm Israeli paper says Iran exaggerates military capability

Text of report by web version of Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv on 22 August

[Report by Amir Rapaport: "Nothing More Than a Few Shihabs"]

"You are warmongers, is what senior officials from the American intelligence community told their counterparts in Israel, when the latter presented the former in 1995 with a first assessment on Iran's nuclear weapon project. A year later, there was no longer a trace of the disparaging attitude and doubt. In 1996, IDF Military Intelligence received a letter from the Americans, whose content is exposed here for the first time: "Sorry about what

we said...thanks for bringing it to light."

Twelve years have passed since, and this week Iran reported the launch of its first own made satellite. It isn't considered a direct part of the Iranian nuclear project, but is

intended to send a message: Just as Iran succeeded in launching a satellite into space, so too will it be able to launch nuclear warheads at a range of thousands of kilometres. A genuine threat? There is a difference of opinion on the matter. Let's for a moment set aside the international intelligence community's scoffing at the satellite launch, which senior sources maintain will never reach its destination and has become a colossal

failure. Iran's military capability, say senior defence officials, is not what the enemy is trying to present. At most, there are a few Shihab missiles. All this could change once they complete development of nuclear technology, which is not far from realization.

"As a rule, the Iranians are lying. They tell tall tales about their capabilities," says Prof Efrayim Kam, a former Military Intelligence senior and currently a researcher at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies [INSS]. A senior IDF officer agrees:

"What do they even have? A few dozen Shihab missiles? This is a primitive missile, and their other military units are quite primitive as well."

Prof Anthony Cordesman, regarded as one of the greatest experts in the United States on Iran affairs, recently said that Iran's advantages in manpower and ground weapons systems are irrelevant in a possible war with Israel or the United States. "Iranian power

is really outdated and not modern, and is based on own made weapons that are far from advanced or on Chinese-made imports that aren't at the technological forefront,"

he explains.

Space: Embarrassing Failures

In a week when Iran boasts a first satellite launch, researcher Yiftah Shafir maintains that where space is concerned, "Iran is an ongoing failure." He says in fact that "the

Iranians began a satellite development project back in the time of the shah's rule, and in the course of over 30 years, have known only truly embarrassing failures." Now too,

Iran's ability in the field of space is devoid of any real military significance.

Air: Outdated Technology

Iran's main threat is missiles. "Iran decided to put its largest budget allocations on missile development and production as a complementary project to the nuclear one," says a senior military source. Iran claims to be producing missiles with ranges of even

5,000-10,000 kilometres.

According to updated intelligence assessments, however, it currently has in its possession only a few dozen Shihab-3 missiles, which can be launched only from a

number of launchers. It is its only missile that could reach Israel. But its long flying time, 10 minutes, will provide relatively sufficient time to alert the population in Israel to take

shelter. Furthermore, the Arrow-2 missile, already in the possession of Israel's Antiaircraft Forces, could highly likely intercept the Shihab-3.

"The Shihab-3 is a primitive missile based on a basic liquid-fuel launch technology, like Scud missiles," says researcher Yiftah Shafir, who each year prepares an INSS report on the strategic balance of forces in the Middle East. "The significance is that prior to

any Shihab launch, the Iranians need to refuel the missile for six hours because a missile cannot be left with fuel, since acids contained in fuel could destroy the missile body. Advanced military missiles are today based on solid-fuel technology enabling

immediate launch. The Iranians claim the advanced missiles they are developing today are solid-fuel based, but they have yet to demonstrate a real capacity to make such a

missile," he adds.

In parallel with the development of ballistic missiles, Iran is also trying to develop cruise missiles that could reach Israel flying low, and which will be based on 20 Soviet cruise missiles Iran bought a few years ago from the Ukraine. If Iran is equipped with cruise

missiles, it will thereby pose a new challenge to Israel, since the Arrow system designed to intercept enemy missiles at an altitude of dozens of kilometres will be unable to deal with such a threat. Meanwhile, the likelihood that Iran already has operational cruise

missiles is estimated at zero.

Theoretically, Iran could also strike Israel through fighter jets flying up to our territory and then dropping bombs.. Such capability is possessed by several dozen Sukhoi-24

aerial bombers, which Iran bought from Russia in the early 1990s. However, a senior Israel Air Force officer regards the possibility that an Iranian jet will try and attack Israel as virtually a suicide mission. "The possibility that an Iranian jet will travel the whole way over here without us detecting and intercepting it is slim, and is actually non-existent,"

he says.

Sukhoi-24 jets are subordinate to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Other Iranian jets, which are not the responsibility of the Revolutionary Guards, constitute no threat to

Israel whatsoever, not even Soviet MIG 29s, which are considered advanced by comparison. Phantom jets, which have been in Iran's possession since the shah bought

them from the United States, are considered so outdated that only few of them still continue to perform regular flights. (The Iranians successfully make necessary parts for the jets on their own.) In any event, Phantoms have no chance of approaching Israel.

Their range of operation is far shorter.

The Iranians have a developed weapons industry in terms of production scope. The industry also has an Iranian-made fighter jet, though according to experts, the new

Iranian jet "uses 1960s technology, and no one regards it as a real threat."

Land: Zero Capability

"Iran's ground forces are totally irrelevant to possible warfare against Israel, owing to the vast distance between the countries. In any case, Iran's capabilities aren't

impressive in this area either. Other than the many artillery pieces originally bought for short-range war against Iraq, Iran doesn't have a large quantity of advanced tanks. They are developing an own made tank called Zulfiqar. Like the Iranian jet, however, it too is based on technology considered very outdated," establishes a senior expert in the field.

Sea: Not Even Training

Iran's navy is simply insignificant in a war against Israel, not to mention the United States. Its fighters don't train, and as far as Iran is concerned, their job is only to defend the [Persian] Gulf. They have three Kilo class submarines, which they received from the Russians in the first half of the 1990s. However, these submarines are built to operate in cold water, and the Iranians therefore have many operational problems in the warm

Gulf waters. Moreover, the submarines must be accompanied by 18-meter escort ships known as MIGs. In general, the submarines have no range of action against Israel.

* * *

"The standing army, plus the Revolutionary Guards, numbers 800,000-900,000 men. Its main problem is quality of weapons. The Iranian land army is irrelevant, and so is most of the air force. As of today, I think the direct Iranian threat is merely a danger of a few missiles that could fall on Israel. They could be equipped with chemical or biological

weapons, though that too is uncertain, owing to Iran's fear of a world reaction to use of

unconventional weapons," summarizes Res Brigadier General Aharon Ze'evi Farqash, IDF Military Intelligence head until three years ago and currently an INSS researcher.

Can Iran's nuclear facilities even be attacked? According to foreign reports, the Iranians buried their installations at a depth of eight meters underground. The problem is not

only their penetration, but also an ability to know what to do there. Some experts think the installations' depth allows the Iranians to give the impression that they have more [of

them] than they do in reality. "Some of the installations are a tall tale. In my opinion, there are ultimately two or three points," tells a defence source.

Source: NRG Ma'ariv website, Tel Aviv, in Hebrew 22 Aug 08

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sg © British Broadcasting Corporation 2008

Russia concerned about Iranian rocket test

Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax

Moscow, 6 February: Moscow is concerned about Teheran's test of the Explorer-1 space rocket.

"Any movement towards creating such a potential weapon, of course, worries others too, especially as this increases suspicion of Iran regarding its possible desire to create

a nuclear weapon," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Losyukov said on Wednesday [6 February], replying to a question from Interfax.

"Long-range missiles are one of the components of such a weapons system. Of course, this is a cause for concern," Losyukov said.

Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1105 gmt 6 Feb 08

BBC Mon Alert FS1 MCU ME1 MEPol 060208 yk/hb © British Broadcasting Corporation 2008

Programme summary of Iranian army news 1309 gmt 22 Dec 10

A. Features

1310 Report on the meaning, importance and power of Velayat, the leadership of an expert cleric. The report began with a clip from the movie Muhammed, Messenger of

Allah. This was followed by archive clips of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeyni who was reassuring a group of people of their future

victory in war (presumably Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s). The reporter said that obeying the Vali, the leader, is a long-standing tradition going back to the time of the prophet of

Islam. Then an IRGC (Islamic Revolution Guards Corps) commander, General Hamedani, talked about the Basijis as the soldiers to fight the soft war. Video showed a group of some provincial Basijis getting ready for a trip to visit Iran's leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i. At 1322 video showed a clip of a meeting between Ayatollah Khamene'i and 110,000 Basijis. He felicitated the new members of the Basij and urged them to remain

Basijis.

B. IRGC news

1. 1324 An IRGC navy fleet was sent to Qatar to visit the military centres in that country. Video showed the see-off ceremony attended by some IRGC commnders. The three-

day visit is meant to boost regional cooperation between the two countries.

2. Report on the speech of General Salami at a seminar on Velayat and the role of young Iranians to safeguard "the nation's independence and freedom"

3. 1328 Report on a speech delivered by General Fadavi IRGC Navy Commander on how to defeat the enemy by relying on truth and spiritualism.

4. 1328 Report on the remarks of Commander Rostam Qasemi's on projects handled by the Khatamolanbiya Development Base.

5. 1330 Report on a speech delivered by General Sharif on "the enemies' propaganda" against Iran's leader.

1331 End of programme

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1309 gmt 22 Dec 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ps Programme summary of Iranian army news 1357 gmt 1 December 10

A: 1358 gmt Introduction with a rendition of poet Shariyar's lyrics on Basij on the occasion of the Basij week. The video report then went on to talk to farmers likening the Basij culture to planting trees. This was followed by comments from Guards officials and

their achievements.

B: IRGC news

1. 1414 voice over report of Supreme Leader Ali Khamene'i's meeting with Basij volunteers - see earlier report

2. 1415 Video report on exemplary Basij Olympiad students who gave their medals to the supreme leader as a gift

3. 1416 Video report on comments of Commander Salami renewing vows with the leader

4. 1417 Video report on Commander Hamadani's press conference

C: 1419 bulletin end

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1357 gmt 1 Dec 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ka © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Leader says Iran should be strengthened in land and at sea

Text of report by Iranian conservative news agency Mehr

The supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamene'i, paid tribute to the 7 Azar [28 November] and described the Navy as a strategic force. He

said that in view of the current issues and the geographic-political situation in the world, we should strengthen ourselves as much as we can in land and at sea.

According to a report by Mehr, Ayatollah Khamene'i, the leader of the Islamic Revolution and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, in a meeting with the commanders

and deputy commanders of the Navy, said that strengthening human resources, promoting the spirit of utilizing talents and materializing the initiatives were necessary for the future of the Navy and reiterated: This important work will be achieved through

firm determination, good planning, and up-to-date and ongoing management.

The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces paid tribute to the 7 Azar [28 November] and described the Navy as a strategic force. He said that in view of the current issues and the geographic-political situation in the world, we should strengthen ourselves as

much as we can in land and at sea.

At the end of his comments, Ayatollah Khamene'i described the spirit and preparedness of the Navy as very good and revolutionary and said that the cooperation between the

two forces of Navy and IRGC were admirable.

At the beginning of this meeting, Admiral Sayyari, the commander of the Navy referred to the strategic document and the use of modern technologies in the Navy and

presented a report of the combat and deterrent capability of the Navy.

Source: Mehr news agency, Tehran, in Persian 1224 gmt 28 Nov 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ks © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran paper details statement by Armed Forces HQ appreciating naval forces

Text of report citing ISNA headlined "Armed Forces Headquarters appreciated the unique capabilities of naval forces in a statement" published by Iranian newspaper

Jomhuri-ye Eslami on 28 November

The General Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces issued a statement and marked the day of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy. In the statement, it is written that the 7 Azar [28 November] is a golden page in the bright workbook of resistance and

sacred defence of the Iranian nation.

In a part of the statement, it is written: "7 Azar is a permanent and glorious day and the remembering this day can form a charter of loyalty, devotion and martyrdom for the ideals of the Islamic Revolution and Islamic country in the Iranian society, especially

among the young generation."

It is written: "In 1359 [Iranian year started on 21 March 1980] and during the initial months of the imposed war of Saddam [Husayn] and other powers [Iran-Iraq war], the 7

Azar epic was formed by the brave forces of Peykan missile launcher boat in the victorious battle of Morvarid. The battle imposed very effective damages to the navy of

Ba'th regime. So, they were made unable and incapable to the end the war."

According to ISNA [Iranian Students News Agency], in the statement there are some sentences about the capabilities and capacities of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy in updating the quality of their establishment during the eight years of Sacred Defence

[Iran-Iraq war]. It says: "In the current circumstances when naval threats are one of the main threats of the hegemonic system and the arrogant powers against the Iranian

people, the singular capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the undeniable power of the forces inside our waters are the reasons that the Islamic Republic of Iran

Navy is ranked as a strategic forces for the country."

The statement continues by praising the devotions and efforts of the experts and professional managers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and their desire to use the national scientific and academic centres' capabilities. It says: "The military power and protection readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy inside the sea borders of the country and their capability to accept missions in ultra-regional waters are because of

the devotions of martyrs and war veterans on the 7 Azar Epic. It is because of the self-confidence of the pious commanders and experts of the self-sufficiency and self-

defence industry of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy."

It further states: "The Iranian Navy has moved on an honourable path to resolve the defensive needs of the country by accompanying other armed forces of the country. The

design and construction of Jamaran Destroyer and the scientific achievements of the Navy to build submarines are a turning point for the scientific developments of the

country. These achievements have reduced the efficiency of the sanction ring of the enemy aimed at preventing the scientific, industrial and technological development of

the Islamic Republic of Iran."

In the last sentences, the statement praises the memory of the always-alive martyrs in the Morvarid mission and honours the coordination and cooperation between the

Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the Islamic Republic Guard Corps Navy to carry out the orders of the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamene'i], the commander-in-

chief of the Armed Forces and implementing of the mission.

It sates: "The perfect unity of the naval forces of army and the IRGC has formed a defensive network and increased the defensive power of the Islamic Iran and the

ensured the permanent security in sensitive and strategic regions of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea will not be damaged. It has resulted in the inefficiency and inability

of enemies and the greedy ultra-regional powers of the region."

Source: Jomhuri-ye Eslami website, Tehran, in Persian 28 Nov 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran paper advocates evolution of militia concept

Text of report headlined "The necessity of evolving the concept of Basij" published by Iranian newspaper Javan on 22 November; ellipses as published throughout

Basij of the Oppressed is one of the miraculous wonders and true supporters of the Islamic Revolution. It is also the source of many services and facilitation in the country.

With every passing day since the Revolution, Imam Khomeyni's sharp vision and foresight in creating this pure tree is becoming clearer. The eight-year imposed war

[Iran-Iraq] limited the functional area of the Basij but its cultural outcome was an innovative flow, which flourished every day to a point that the "Basij thought and culture"

shone as a distinct and credible discourse and a practical role model of ethics and sacrifice.

With the end of the imposed war, objections about the continuity of Basij were heard but the Basijis' came on the filed in Shahrivar 1367 [September/October-1988] (one month

after the end of the war) and stated: "With strength and confidence, the Basij will continue to work as before" and three months after the statement, the strategy of

Islamic Revolution regarding the Basij took a paradigm shift and its soft mission was communicated on 2 Azar 1367 [23 November 1988].

The Late Imam [Khomeyni] precisely understood that the next front line would be the university. Therefore, despite the end of war and roughly after three months of the war, he stated the Basij's mission in universities. The Late Imam did not portray any military

role for the Basij and opened up a new horizon for its future, but its importance and necessity was not well understood until the sedition of 1378 and 1388 [1999 and 2009].

In his historic message, the Late Imam articulated the discourse of Jihad, martyrdom and physical stronghold into the soft discourse, which says: "The Basij mission is to

resolve the belief issues, neither East nor West but safeguarding the immutable principle of defending the Revolution, system and the universities and drawing the

frameworks of pure Islam by [Prophet] Muhammad (peace be upon him).

If attention would have been paid to these four principles, the priorities of defending the Islamic Revolution with the acceptance approach would have been prevalent at the

universities. And if the pure Islam among the reading and reform's pluralism would have been highlighted or in other words, not in nature or essence of identity but in the field of

expertise and function, the Basij should have evolved as a concept and its social network with relative independence from Islamic Revolution Guard Corps [IRGC],

should have entered social, cultural and political arena.

Unfortunately, despite the decline of military activities of Basij, its military symbols such as Kalashnikovs, iron helmets, pierced boots and... have been exhibited as the

decorated pieces of the Basij culture and society's psychological-mental ground work has not been prepared for Basijs' soft actions.

Therefore, in the Basij genealogy and history, this year those such as the Karrubis, the Ansaris, the Khatamis, the Mosharekatis [members of Participation Front] and... would have been exhausted by the effects of the Basij soft functioning as: "Oh people, wake

up that the Basij has entered politics and factions." Their dialogue against the Basij had some credentials and appeal only because the Basij custodians did not re-organize the cultural attitude and society's mentality regarding the evolution of the Basij concept as well as they did not convert its military symbols into intellectual, cultural and political

symbols.

Meanwhile, the enemy's soft war area was widespread but the Basij due to lack of evolution in its understanding and its meaning being still fixed in the past, could not get

engaged in fighting the enemy, as it would have been condemned and discarded on account deviating from Imam's will that the military personnel should not get involved in

politics.

Political and intellectual complexities after the Imam [Khomeyni] which caused the divergence of political formation within the regime, was sufficient enough for the Basij to

enter the arena with its inherent mission to defend the Revolution but because the society's mentality was not prepared about the Basij outcome, Basij's hands were tied and all of its actions were considered unlawful and unconventional. The 1388 [2009] sedition proved that evolution in the concept of Basij functions is inevitable and as an ideological current, it is at par with Islamic Revolution and should arm itself with other

forms of weapons and iron helmets.

This action will not be effective without infrastructural reforms in the society's mentality and intellectual development of the Basij. The geography of the Basij mission is beyond

night patrols and organization's internal functions, it is in the fields of culture, service, politics and knowledge.

The necessary move to achieve this, is the social believe in the evolution of the meaning of Basij. Otherwise, the uncertain and unworthy will enter the arena and claim

that the country has higher education system and science, then why the Basij? The Basij should be in military training and be prepared to act in case of a direct military

attack by the global arrogance.

Therefore, the Basij of the Oppressed must plan its discourse as an effective national spiritual university as well as a social and intellectual network for training the

Revolution's intellectual elements.

If we look into the country's platforms such as foreign policy, health care, agriculture, science, culture, oil and... there are defined custodians to look into these, but which

ingenious establishment carries the responsibility of training the next generation of the Revolution's cadres? Do the political movements and government organizations, that have an eye on their seats, possess the honesty and transparency? Even if they do, training the future forces of the Revolution must be the regime's strategic plan, the

identical form of which is the Basij.

If we do not pay attention to this issue, the future corridor of the Islamic Revolution will get narrower with weak cadres and its continuity will be uncertain. It is only the Basij,

which is able to initiate this important matter and ensure a satisfactory outcome.

In this approach, focus on Imam's political thoughts must also be prioritized so that this strong and stable pillar would be able to identify the pure from impure and the false

claimants of the Imam's path are exposed and diverted through his thoughts.

In the evolution process of meaning of the Basij, in addition to reform in social attitudes towards the organization an improved legal mechanism is also necessary because the

internal hypocrites and oppositions will not accept this evolution, without its legal aspects.

The Majlis can play a vital role in this regard and we hope to see such a day soon.

Source: Javan, Tehran, in Persian 22 Nov 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol za © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Tehran enjoys anti-cruise shield - Iranian top commander

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 19 November

Tehran and Iran's other critical spots are under an advanced defence shield operated by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, says a top IRGC commander.

"Tehran is one of the very few capitals in the world to be equipped with an anti-cruise defence system," Fars quoted commander of IRGC Air Force Brig-Gen Amir Ali

Hajizadeh as saying on Friday [19 November].

He added that the system is run by the IRGC and that the Iranian Army has provided other major cities and regions in the country with a similar defence system.

On the ongoing "Modafean Aseman Velayat 3" (Guardians of Velayat Skies) drills, the general said the country's armed forces employ newly unveiled defence systems and radars and exercise electronic warfare at commanding and control centres to prepare

for any potential incursion against the country.

This manoeuvre is two-sided and includes units which exercise offensive and those who practice defence against the mock enemy attacks without any knowledge of their

capacities or whereabouts, he explained.

Hajizadeh said the drills are aimed at further preparing the Islamic Republic's armed forces against the enemies' potential threats and condemned the Western media

allegations about the threatening nature of the move as part of West's Iranophobia campaign.

"The IRGC has always been prepared to perfectly defend and protect the country's security and its Islamic establishment and the poisonous propaganda and Iranophobia

project which follow every Iranian manoeuvre are [part of] a psychological war," he said.

"We have not attacked any country in the past three decades but have unfairly been targeted by offensives."

Addressing Persian Gulf states with US bases, the IRGC general warned that any country that serves as a launching pad in case of a potential attack against the Islamic

Republic would be counted as part of the belligerent force.

Iran's armed forces are ready with their lives to defend the country and give a strong and crushing response to any incursion against the Islamic Republic, he said.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1615 gmt 19 Nov 10

BBC Mon Alert TCU ME1 MEPol 201110 ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iranian commander comments on new air defence system

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 18 November

Iran has successfully test operated a new generation of its first domestically manufactured air defence system during the third day of the country's massive air drills.

According to the spokesman for the military drills Brigadier General Hamid Arzhangi, the Mersad (Ambush) modern medium-range system is capable of spotting and destroying

advanced aircraft at low and high altitudes.

In addition to its high mobility, Mersad's new generation can be used in electronic warfare and can be networked with other radar and defence systems, Arzhangi added.

The advanced system was test-operated on Thursday during the third day of the country's biggest ever nationwide aerial drills dubbed 'Modafe'an Aseman Velayat 3'

(Defenders of Velayat Skies).

Air defence units from Iran's Armed Forces and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) are taking part in the five-day air manoeuvres.

Advanced equipment used for communication and exchange of intelligence, modern electro-optical systems as well as various kinds of radars have so far been tested during

the drills.

Reconnaissance missions to detect the state-of-the-art systems of mock enemies using radars were also carried out.

The air manoeuvres are being held near Iran's strategic sights and landmarks, aiming to assess the performance of new air defence systems and enhance rapid response

capabilities in countering potential aerial attacks.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1312 gmt 18 Nov 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 191110 ek

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010Top Iranian general hopes to achieve complete set of manoeuvers' objectives

Excerpt from report by state-run Iranian Arabic-language television news channel Al-Alam on 18 November

[Correspondent] We are now in the theatre of operations and we have with us the head of the Iranian Air Defence Forces Gen Ahmad Mikani. What is the nature of the

manoeuvres that took place already and what distinguishes the Mirsad air defence system?

[Mikani] The Skies of the Velayat manoeuvre is covering Iran entirely with the participation of all the air defence systems of the army, the IRGC, and those of the

popular mobilization forces. Thank God, during those past three days, we have made a lot of progress and achieved most of the preset objectives. We will achieve more goals

in the next two days and we hope to achieve 100 per cent of our preset objectives.

[Correspondent] What is the situation with the systems you have talked about, which were domestically built and maintained?

[Mikani] We are operating an extremely modern matrix that fits electronic and modern warfare on radar and radar systems levels. They are capable of covering an area of 100 square meters [as translated] and revealing all missiles and enemy jets. It can reveal all

types of mid-range and long-range missiles. As for the average distance, we have updated the matrix to include tracing and guidance systems. They have been digitized. The situation is good, thank God. In the next stage we aim to achieve further distances.

As for the long range we have HQ and SPS [as translated]. Those have been modernized and are operating 24/24. The system was also recently digitized.

As for the manufacturing of those systems, whether they be short range or medium range, they have been designed domestically by Iranian experts.

As for medium-range missiles, such as Mirsad, defence experts at the Ministry of Defence and Iranian scientists manufactured those [sentence cut, idea not completed]

As for the level of this system compared to others, they are similar but more recent especially with regards to altitude and range which are double that of previous systems.

We have established the long-range [radar research] system a long time ago. We are now in the final stage. We have merged some of the world's different systems together and tested them. Hopefully, we will put this matrix to the test very soon and then give it

to our forces.

[Correspondent] One of the hot topics these days is that you will use the S-300 or something similar to that, during those manoeuvres. Where is Iran from this system?

[Mikani] As I said before, we are not looking for the S-300 matrix. We, however, are looking for a long-range modern system which is a hybrid of already-existing systems

and new ones we are developing and manufacturing.

We have finished this stage and kicked off the production stages. We are at the last stage of the manufacturing process.

There is also [another] new long-range system that has reached its final stages.

[Passage omitted: repeating rhetoric on objectives of manoeuvres]

Source: Al-Alam TV, Tehran, in Arabic 1300 gmt 18 Nov 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol rd © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran designs missile system like Russia's S-300 - officer

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 18 November

18 November: Iran has designed an air defence system that has the same capability as the Russian-made S-300 system, a top military official says.

"We have developed the system by upgrading systems like S-200 and we have tested it successfully using all our potential and experience in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the Army and the Defence Ministry," Brigadier General Mohammad

Hasan Mansurian told Press TV on Wednesday [17 November].

This comes as Russia cancelled a deal involving the sale of its S-300 system to Iran in September, the general added.

General Mansurian noted that the details of Iran's long-range missile defence system will be unveiled soon.

On November 3, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad criticized Russia for its "one-sided and illegal" cancellation of the military deal.

"This agreement must be implemented. If they (Russians) refrain from fulfilling their commitment, the Iranian nation will ask for its rights and damage inflicted to it,"

President Ahmadinezhad said.

Based on an 800m-dollar contract signed in 2005, Russia agreed to provide Iran with at least five S-300 systems.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree in September to prohibit the delivery of the S-300 to the Islamic Republic under the pretext of a US-engineered

sanctions resolution imposed against Iran over its nuclear programme.

Iran criticized Russia, arguing that Resolution 1929 does not justify Moscow's refusal to commit to the deal as it does not specifically ban the delivery of the defensive missiles

to Tehran.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 0030 gmt 18 Nov 10

BBC Mon Alert TCU ME1 MEPol 181110 akr/oj © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran commander explains the "mobile observation units" of IRGC

Text of report by Iranian conservative, privately-owned Fars News Agency website

At the gathering of reporters, Colonel [Ali-Asghar] Jamali announced: The ability of mobile armed observation posts combating Cruise Missile attacks!

Fars: The commander of the observation unit of the air defence base pointed to the integrated mobile armed observation posts, adding: "As soon as these observation units observe hostile aircraft and cruise missiles they would be able to conduct operations to

combat them."

Fars defence correspondent reports that the commander of the observation unit of the air defence base of the Khatam ol-Anbiya airbase, Colonel Jamali, appeared at the gathering of reporters on the sidelines of the Defenders of the Skies of Velayat - 3

manoeuvres, stressing: Presently, we have equipped our observation units with modern hardware. As soon as they detect a hostile aircraft they can transfer their information to command and control in form of voice or data [either verbally or presumably digital data

transmission].

He added: The national central observation unit is equipped with electronic and electro-optic equipment and as soon as any flying object appears these [mobile observers] can automatically transfer their information to the integrated defence network. In this arena, we are in possession of progressive layers of intelligence allowing us to deal with any

kind of warnings [we have several layers of intelligence gathering hardware allowing us to deal with any hostile action].

In relation to mobile armed observation posts integrated into the national integrated observation network, Jamali added: These mobile observations have been installed at

all corridors and entry paths from the borderlands to deep inland and operate independently.

This commander of the Khatam ol-Anbiya airbase also remarked: As soon as these observation units observe hostile flying objects and cruise missiles they can conduct

operations to counter these objectives.

In his added remarks, Jamali stressed: The mobile observation units are stationed at points at which perhaps no human being can access and these are hostile landscapes

and kavir regions [desert].

Remarking that on the basis of the geography of the country and kevir and mountainous landscape of the country the observation units are installed from the frontiers deep

inland, he emphasised: The observation units overlap each other quite effectively [the span of their range overlaps to render coordination] and on top of the observation units

of the base we also employ Basij [volunteer militias], army, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and Law Enforcement Forces [police].

The commander of the Khatam ol-Anbiya airbase added: The naval, air and land forces of the army also posses observation units which are installed all over the country and

these personnel have a good overlapping structure with the observation units of airbase. Also, there is a very good interaction between the army and Basij and IRGC,

they all linked to an integrated defence system.

In his concluding remarks Jamali reassured us: Observation units are an impenetrable bulwark against any aggression by flying objects, be they cruise missiles or unmanned drones. (Still to be found at: http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8908260234)

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 0927 gmt 17 Nov 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol ka © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iranian Border Guards Corps kicks off three-day manoeuvres

Text of report by state-run Iranian Arabic-language television news channel Al-Alam on 15 November

[News anchor] Iran's Border Guards Corps kicked off its manoeuvre on the country's eastern borders. They will last three days during which the most recent monitoring and

response technologies will be used.

[Video report]

[Correspondent] This is a parade that may not be truly representative of its forces on the ground, but the message from such parade is that Iran is fully ready and its forces are

on top of their coordination [skills].

Iran's Border Guards Corps are all over the place in order to test their ability during manoeuvres on its eastern borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan which exceed 1400

kms.

[Gen Ghoulam Nabi Kouhakan - Commander of the Border Guards Corps in Sistan and Baluchistan] This region is facing many difficulties such as drugs smuggling and people trafficking as well as the infiltration of armed gangs. The continued operations following

the manoeuvres' end will have a big impact on monitoring the borders.

[Correspondent] The manoeuvre will last for three days and will be the basis of a plan to monitor one of the tensest borders in the region. This will be done through two stages. One, The Border Guards will move in seven combat units sharing several tasks. [no

mention of second stage]

[Col Ahmad Nikofard - Maneouver's spokesman] Some of our forces have been training on monitoring and shutting the borders down while others are working on purging many

border areas. We are also testing a range of our defensive tools.

[Correspondent] The Border Guards Corps has tested new methods facing any infiltration across the borders. They have used UAVs for reconnaissance as well as

radar and other optical systems.

Iran has also experimented with sedative weaponries in order to limit losses of lives and to apprehend criminals alive. Light, medium and heavy weapons were also tested

during the manoeuvres.

This defensive panorama aims to increase the fighting capability of a force that could face surprises at any given moment.

[Gen Ahmad Guiraouand - Deputy-commander of Iran's Border Guards Corps] The manoeuvres aim to increase the fighting capabilities of our forces and to achieve

harmony amongst its members. Our forces, along with the IRGC, are monitoring the borders and they will respond with full force to any armed, illegal infiltration.

[Correspondent] The manoeuvres are a test of men and equipment. However, security and stability remain the biggest headlines as the region is geographically and politically

open to challenges that could change its outline at any moment.

Source: Al-Alam TV, Tehran, in Arabic 1600 gmt 15 Nov 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol rd © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran leader praises country's armed forces

The following is the text of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamene'i's speech during a graduation ceremony at the Sattari Military Academy in Tehran

broadcast by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 10 November; subheadings inserted editorially.

[Khamene'i]: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. I would like to congratulate you and the young faithful people who have completed their academic studies with honour and from today start offering their services as part of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic system and the dear Islamic Republic's army. I would

also like to congratulate the dear young people who received their epaulettes and, God willing, will successfully pursue their academic studies. To be fair, today our armed

forces and the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran enjoy a very suitable position and standing.

On difference between Iranian, other countries' armies

You have preference over other armies for two reasons. Firstly, your goals and objectives are of a divine and humane nature and secondly, there is a heartfelt and

powerful bond between you and the people. All of the world's societies and countries need to be powerful so that they can secure their security, continue going down the path

toward their dignity, and achieve material and divine happiness. In every country and society, armed forces are an important and principle arm of this power. The main

difference is that the power models in materialistic systems which are prevalent in the world today are different from the power models of the Islamic system. In materialistic systems, power is based on material strength such as money, weapons and deceptive propaganda. But based on the Islamic and divine model, this power is primarily based on divine and sacred values and factors. It is based on faith, trust in Almighty God, and

a devoted endeavour toward lofty ideals.

This doesn't mean that we should ignore and play down the importance of weapons, order and training. They are all necessary. But in fact it is the feeling of responsibility before and faith in God that makes an army, armed force or nation so powerful and

strong that materialistic powers are unable to bring it to its knees and it will be the final victor. This is not a mere theory and wishful thinking. We have experienced this in

practice. You dear young people can witness these things in your country's contemporary history. You should study these facts carefully. The Iranian nation's

victory against the monarchist system is a clear example of how these divine factors defeated the materialistic factors. The dependent and corrupt monarchist system in this dear and oppressed country relied on various materialistic tools and power granted to it by international powers. But they were defeated by a nation which had no weapons but

was armed with faith and self-confidence.

On the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war

The second experience was the resistance which the Iranian nation showed during the sacred defence [reference to the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war]. The East and West of that time

supported the corrupt Ba'thist regime. America, NATO, the former Soviet Union, and the region's extremists all supported it. They supplied it with money, weapons, information, and manpower so that they could defeat the Islamic Republic system and the Iranian

nation. However, whilst faced with sanctions, especially arms and weapons embargoes, the Iranian nation relied on its faith, the faith of its young people, the bravery and courage of its armed forces, and was able to defeat this enemy which relied on a mountain of weapons and arms, destroy everything it had purchased and abolish

everything they had invested in the monarchist regime [as heard]. It's the same today. Today, the world of arrogance still doesn't know how to deal with Islamic Iran. Relying

on material power, equipping friends with arms. [changing tack] Just see the huge amount of modern weapons entering the region and see what a huge amount of money of nations of this region goes into the pockets of owners of military industries of America

and the West in exchange for these weapons. But there is no point. They spend this money but it [presumably, weapons] does not help them. By relying on its faith, Islamic Iran has also succeeded in outrunning others in the field of material tools too. The air

force of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its honourable martyrs like martyrs Sattari, Baba'i, Khazra'i and Dowran and others pioneered this trend in the army. The armed force's first self-sufficiency institute was established by the air force. Flight and

engineering cadres did valuable things in their own way. The system of the Islamic Republic will never forget these services. The army, IRGC and various officials of the

armed forces have done their utmost in that regard.

Progress with reliance on God

Universities helped, the countries' scientists cooperated and today in addition to the power of faith and spirituality and spiritual values, the Iranian nation is reliant on the material tools achieved by its own hand and its own creativity. This is an honour. We want our youth to feel that they can rely on themselves and the help of the Almighty God, they can be independent of the oppressors and arrogant powers of the world.

They can create armed forces equipped with the products created by the Iranian brain and innovation. You must look at everything with this view. Study with this viewpoint,

continue your research with this approach, rely on yourself. This is your experience, the experience of your country, and the experience of your veterans in the Islamic Republic

Army and in the whole of Armed Forces. If you rely on yourselves, your forces and talents gush out from within like an eternal spring and will presents you, your

organization and your nation with their products. The report which the commanding officer of this university has given is a very good report. What he is reporting about the things that have been done various parts is good. Therefore, do not be contented with

these. The path to perfection is infinite. The more you progress, the more you can enjoy the taste of perfection. This is true in spiritual perfection, closeness to God, love for

God, spirituality, passing the divine path of God as well as all materialistic issues. The more you proceed, you feel more dignified and more powerful. This is the path you, the

youth should go down. The country belongs to you, the Army is yours, the future belongs to you. Study well, research well, experience well. The Almighty God has

promised you that if you help his religion, his path and divine objectives, God will help you. God's help means the help of all the existing forces in this nature, everything will

come to your assistance. The supernatural forces will also come to help you, you will be helped, you will progress just as you have progressed so far. You should know that today your country is very different from what it was 10 years ago. It is much more

advanced than even 20 years ago and in many respects it is more advanced than 30 years ago i.e. the beginning of the revolution. This is the result of the efforts of our

nation and its young people, and their reliance on the Almighty God and their endeavours on this holy path. Continue these efforts.

The universities affiliated to the armed forces are one of the most prospective social and scientific institutions and centres. This university, too, bears the name of Martyr Sattari, who was a dear, hard-working, dedicated, innovative, and religious soldier and martyr of

the holy war. During Sacred Defence [reference to the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war], he rendered great and valuable services before being appointed as a military commander. He offered great services as a military commander as well. The same can be said about

other dear martyrs from the ground forces, naval forces, air forces, and other parts in the armed forces. They rendered great services. You should know the importance of

these universities. Plans should be devised based on modern necessities, and always take future needs into consideration and have a clear outlook. The dear cadets should

use all their determination, the senior commanders of all forcers should visit universities and have close talks with the dear cadets. This is useful for them and these youths. We get joy by looking at you, you can also profit from the experience and teachings of your

veterans.

May God bestow these dear youths with his blessing and wisdom, May God support and guide our Armed Forces, Islamic Republic Guards Corps, The Islamic Republic of

Iran's Army, Law Enforcement Forces, the great popular Basij.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1849 gmt 10 Nov 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ks/lc/aa © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Summary of Iranian army programme 1130 gmt 3 Nov 2010

A. 1131 Report on the Basij force's role in the 1979 US Embassy seizure, and the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, stressing schoolchildren's participation in the war. Video shows archive footage of the war, interviews with teenagers who died while fighting in the war. A Basij

Commander says some 6,000 resistance units are formed at schools across the country.

B. 1145 Islamic Revolution Guards Corps News

1. 1146 The IRGC has held a conference on fighting the soft war. Video shows Commander Salami, the deputy head of the IRGC and the representative of the

supreme leader in the IRGC, Hojjat ol-Eslam Sa'idin, making speeches.

2. 1147 Video report on Commander of the IRGC ground forces, General Mohammad Pakpur, attending the closing ceremony of the IRGC sports competition and stressing

on the importance of physical fitness for combat readiness.

2. 1148 Report over video on commander of the Basij Veterans' Organization, Commander Naqdi, urging schoolchildren to achieve the scientific knowledge needed to

resist the enemy.

3. 1149 Report over video on Commander Jowkar, commander of the pupils' Basij Organization, stressing that the "sedition" of the 2009 election could not enter schools.

C. 1150 End programme

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1130 gmt 3 Nov 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol lc\aa © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Programme summary of Iranian army news 1111 gmt 20 Oct 2010

A: 1112 gmt video report on Iran-Iraq war with footage from archives and spiritual aspects of resistance

B: 1123 Islamic Revolution Guards Corps News

1. 1123 video report on comments of IRGC Commander Mohammad Ali Ja'fari stressing Shi'i Sunni unity during the Martyrs confab

2. 1124 Video report Leader's Representative in IRGC, Ali Sa'idi has told the Martyrs Confab that in the past 100 years the hegemonic powers have sown seeds of discord

3. 1125 video report on importance of sports within the IRGC as described by Commander Salami

4. 1125 video report commemoration of Commander Ali Shushtari who was killed by gunmen in south-eastern Province of Baluchestan a year ago; unity amongst Muslims

stressed

5. 1126 Khatam ol-Anbiya engineering HQ head Commander Rostam Qasemi has stressed that the government has turned Iran into a big workshop; video report of

comments after the Tehran-Qom-Mashhad highway was given to the IRGC

C: 1129 bulletin end

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1111 gmt 20 Oct 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ka © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran commander announces forming of new battalions of Guards Corps

Text of report headlined "Forming new Ashura battalions in Tehran IRGC" published by Iranian newspaper Jomhuri-ye Eslami on 19 October

The commander of the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] Prophet Mohammad unit of Tehran has informed about forming new Ashura battalions. Commander Hoseyn

Hamedani, commander of the IRGC Prophet Mohammad unit of Greater Tehran, speaking to Fars news agency, referred to the readiness of Ashura combat battalions

and stated: "Besides the battalions acting in the framework of the IRGC Greater Tehran unit, we were given the permission to form new battalions."

Referring to formation of the new battalions, the commander of the IRGC Prophet Mohammad unit explained: "The ceiling of programmes that have been defined for the Ashura battalions of the IRGC Prophet Mohammad Unit has been implemented and

these battalions are entirely ready."

Mentioning that the Ashura battalions are battalions based on people, the commander of the IRGC Prophet Mohammad Unit in the end mentioned: "Basij is the basis of the

Ashura battalions."

Previously Commander Hoseyn Salami, the deputy head of the IRGC, had informed about mobilization of 1,500 combat Ashura battalions along with Commando battalions and Ground Force Units of the IRGC and had said that these battalions are capable of

executing assigned operations up to the zone of hundreds of kilometres.

Source: Jomhuri-ye Eslami website, Tehran, in Persian 19 Oct 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Summary of Iranian Guards Corps programme 1111 gmt, 6 Oct

A. 1112 Report over archive video on the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. The Iranian leader's advisor for military affairs, Yahya Rahim-Safavi, and the commander of the Islamic

Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Mohammad Ali Ja'fari, commented on the IRGC's role in the war and the relationship between this force and the Iranian army during the

war.

B. IRGC news

1. 1130 Report on IRGC commander's comments on Iran's fight against the "world arrogance".

2. 1132 Report on the Iranian leader's representative at the IRGC commenting on the importance of the people following the leader.

3. 1133 Report on the IRGC ground forces rescuing six hostages taken by bandits and thugs in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province.

4. 1133 Report over video on the deputy commander on the Basij Force cvpommenting on visits to the Iran-Iraq war fronts.

C. 1134 End programme

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1111 gmt 6 Oct 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol aa © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran commander boasts of advanced missile system

Text of report headlined "Enemy bases are in the extensive range of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] missiles" published by Iranian newspaper Iran on 29 September

The deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC [ Hoseyn Salami] has said: "As for ground forces, the IRGC has equipped energetic young people in Ashura 1,500 battalions,

which along with the Takavar battalions and ground units, are capable of carrying out operations in hundreds of kilometres. This can create a balance in the ground forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran's army. Brig-Gen Salami added: "Now we have a powerful

ballistic missiles system that can target any location of the enemy's bases from any point with the desired volume and high precision, simultaneously. Stating that their

defence options are not limited to a certain capacity, the deputy commander-in-chief of

the IRGC added: "The missile system of the country's air defence has made extraordinary advancement and is powerful."

Source: Iran website, Tehran, in Persian 29 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010Iran delivers flying boats to IRGC Navy

Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 28 September

[Presenter] This morning, three squadrons of Bavar-2 flying boats were delivered to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] Navy.

[Correspondent] From now on the blue and high sky of Iran and the sacred and lovely seas of the country will see the presence of these [pointing to the flying boats] new

defensive productions, the flying boats.

[The minister of defence and armed forces logistics, Ahmad Vahidi - recording] They [flying boats] can fly in a short distance above the water surface with high speeds.

[Correspondent] Before this product, Iran was a superior power in the sea by manufacturing and using speed boats. Now, the Bavar-2 flying boats, which have a

double speed, have increased Iran's power.

[Admiral Ali Fadavi, commander of IRGC Navy] Now, we can see the mass delivery of the flying boats which were presented during the first Great Prophet Manoeuvre in the

Persian Gulf.

[Correspondent] The Bavar-2 flying boats are manufactured by the experts of the Defence and Armed Forces Logistics Ministry.

[Vahidi] High waves cannot affect the boats. They [the flying boats] can carry out reconnaissance activities too in day and night, using night vision cameras and electronic

systems.

[Correspondent] Through the mass production of flying boats, Iran will enter the club of designers and manufactures of hover-boats [Persian: parandeha-ye asar sath].

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1057 gmt 28 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol as/ms © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran to equip flying boats with rockets in near future - commander

In an interview with Fars News Agency, Rear Admiral Tangsiri, deputy commander of the IRGC Navy said that missiles and rockets will be installed on flying boats in the near

future.

Stating that Iran is from among a few countries which have acquired the know-how to design and build flying boats, Tangsiri stressed that apart from their high speed and

high manoeuvrability feature, Bavar 2 flying boats are capable of carrying various home-made weapons. He reiterated that: "In the near future they will be equipped with

missiles and rockets which will enhance their combat capability."

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 0001 gmt 28 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ks © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Paper interviews commander on Iran's military dependence on other countries

Text of report headlined "We have no military dependence on any country" published by Iranian newspaper Jaam-e Jam on 28 September

Brig-Gen Ahmad Reza Purdastan who had commanded the Islamic Republic Army during the Sacred Defence had held the responsibility of commanding various combat units. He, who has experienced the war completely, believes that in order to improve the capabilities of the Armed Forces, the experience of that period must be utilized.

Considering that the enemy has opened up the soft war front against us apart from the hard war, we must upgrade our software capability so as to maintain our spiritual, moral,

prestige, religious and national borders in the manner that we defended the sacred borders of Islamic Iran from the utmost harmful enemy during the sacred war, he said. During his talk with Jaam-e Jam, he expressed his opinion related to war and debates

concerning the present conditions, which are given below:

Q. What was the interaction of the Armed Forces during the sacred war and how did we make use of the classic and non-classic combat units in a single front?

A. When the Ba'thist regime in Iraq started incursion and aggression on our borders with the support and backing of global imperialism, our Armed Forces lacked the necessary preparedness for defence and tackling. This lack of readiness does not mean absence

[of forces], many army battalions like 92 and 81 armoured divisions and 84

Khorramabad brigade and 37 armoured brigade were stationed at the borders but did not have enough personnel against that massive attack by heavily armed Iraq with the intention to take over Khuzestan in three days. They [Iranian army] were able to slow down the fast pace [of the Iraqis] with the lives of tens of martyrs and many wounded army men and thus by slowing down the enemy's progress, they prevented them from

capturing major targets.

In such circumstances, the Revolutionary Guards Corps [IRGC], which was newly formed and did not have a combat organizational form, headed towards the borders to

help and support their army brethren. Passionate young men entered the battlefield with light weapons and some of them even, empty-handed. I think that one of the lessons that we learnt from this sacred university is that all the victories and successes were because of the unity and interaction of the Armed Forces and revolutionary people of

Iran. If we analyse the failures and defeats, we will find the unwelcome face of differences and separations behind this. And this is the matter - regarding unity and

against separations and differences - that Imam Khomeyni used to emphasize upon in his wise remarks to the nation and the Armed Forces.

Q. The issue that we are confronted with today is the threat of soft [war]. My question is that what programmes [preparations] does the army have for the software defence

besides the military hardware?

A. The trans-regional enemy in the beginning of occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan suffered losses and irreparable damages and was caught in the swamp and it did not

find a way to get out of it. Thus, the possibility of opening yet another military front cannot be imagined [by the enemy] and that is why it has changed its style and tactics of threats against our country and has placed the issue of soft threats on its agenda.

The soft threats, if not more dangerous and fatal than the hard war, are not less either. The enemy has considered the factors of soft war through which it can attain a sure victory. However, we know that compared with hard threats, soft threats are time-

consuming and are possible only over a prolonged period of time.

The components that the enemy has planned in the soft threats include:

1. Extensive and widespread use of psychological operations, exaggeration of their capabilities and belittling of the competencies of the targeted country to create an atmosphere of despair and anxiety among people to the level that they start acting

against the governing system.

2. Spreading corruption, immorality, promiscuity and drugs among the young and the social workforce to make the system ineffective.

3. Creating the divide between religions and religious sects for splitting and separating people to prevent national unity.

4. Implementing the project of Iranophobia in the region and isolating the Islamic Republic of Iran to the level that the political, cultural and economic relations of the

country with its neighbours and with the regional countries are challenged.

And some other components which the enemy has lined up with these equipments are controlling and managing implementation of actions through satellite channels, internet websites and print media and through those internal people who have sold themselves

to the enemy. By the grace of God, the Army has the right understanding of these threats and according to their capabilities and means for countering them, the Army and

the psychological operations battalions at station level have suggested that these divisions can put their activities in order and implement the actions in a defined manner.

Subsequent action is the plan for preserving the youth and the valuable human resource such as [compulsory] military service.

Q. Let us move ahead of the war. Where did the Army stand [in terms of capabilities] during the end of war in 1367 [1988-89] and where does it stand now?

A. The eight-year war was a very good experience for us. We learnt many lessons from the war. We came to know of our strong and weak points and by using these lessons in our trainings; we can get over the shortcomings and upgrade the areas of our strength.

However, the global conditions changed after the war, which means the classical conditions that we had and were prevalent in the world were not there then. After the imposed war, we were witness to the presence of trans-regional forces in the region.

After 11 September incident the world entered a totally different atmosphere. After the war, we prepared ourselves with the experience that we had gained. The experience of

war became the book [syllabus] and was taught to our students in the colleges. The supreme commander of Armed Forces asked to consider this war as a university. The first and second Persian Gulf wars and Afghanistan war were observed and analysed for several thousand hours. We came to this conclusion that we must adapt ourselves according to the new conditions and enter the arena of unequal battles. For this, we needed to make changes in our structure, organization and equipments and by the grace of God, the Army felt these changes and prepared itself to equip and change

according to this atmosphere.

Q. The issue of self-sufficiency in the field of military equipments was seriously pursued in the years after the war. What has the Army done so far in this field?

A. The command of self-sufficiency is one of the valuable measures by the Supreme Leader of the Armed Forces [Ayatollah Khamene'i]. He said that to strive for self

sufficiency units can be formed in the Army. The self-sufficiency for Research Jihad was set up in the Army according to the command of His Highness [Ayatollah Khamene'i]

and the necessary actions were taken.

In the beginning, the Jihad for self-sufficiency raised the requirement for spare parts, instruments and equipments for the Army. For example, the helicopters that we had

required repairs and their spare parts were not available in the market. They came and

produced the required parts, Cannon155, Cannon120, variety of tanks and...[ellipses as published] to start with, production of spare parts was accomplished. Then confidence

increased and weapons and tanks were manufactured by joining the parts.

Later it was decided to produce weapons and the required equipments. By the grace of God, this job was done by the Army. For example, in the Army, the Zulfaqar tank - a

advanced and third generation tank - was produced. This tank is being optimized continuously and we are preparing a new generation out of it to suit our needs. We have

also produced weapons needed for unequal combats. In this field, we also produced such weapons that do not require human presence and are controlled intelligently.

Progress in this field is continuing and I declare clearly and decisively that we have no military dependence on any country.

Source: Jam-e Jam website, Tehran, in Persian 28 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Analyst examines possibilities of Iran's armed conflict with other countries

Text of commentary by senior international relations expert Alireza Sa'idabadi headlined "Iran and possible scenarios of military conflict" published by Iranian newspaper Resalat

on 27 September

Acting chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces General Staff, Iran is on the verge of a possible future war

Introduction: In terms of territory Iran is one of the largest nations in the Middle East and with 1,648,194 sq km it has noteworthy climatic variations, abundant natural resources

and different kinds of territorial regions with special characteristics. The historic Silk Road crosses our country and Iran's northern and southern geopolitical regions are

places where there are clashes of interest between regional and trans-regional powers.

On our nation's eastern and western borders two big wars began in the beginning of the third millennium due to the political-security atmosphere that emerged as a result of the 11 September incidents in America. One took place in Iraq with the aim of overthrowing

Saddam and establishing democracy and the other in Afghanistan with the aim of containing the Taleban and holding national elections in that country.

Iran's geopolitical and geographic position is so prominent and obvious that no strategic planning for influence in West Asia by the big international players is possible without

attention to this important regional variable.

In the context of the understandings and misunderstandings the players have about one another in the new international system, we are faced with two major realities: First is

the scandalous difference in the approaches and interpretations that the nations in the region including Iran have concerning the role of the big powers in the region. Second,

in view of the change in the concept of security from hardware and military-security dimension to the software and economic-cultural dimensions, the language of the Cold

War era is still being used to a great extent in relations between the nations of the region. This is seen in the media-political struggles between Iran and the United Arab

Emirates [UAE], Iran and Saudi Arabia and Iran and Azerbaijan.

Now the question is; in view of the clash of interests between the nations outside the region and within the region, what are the scenarios for Iran to have military conflict in

the existing circumstances of the international system? Is Iran's military experience gained from the eight years of the sacred defence [Iran-Iraq war] a deterrent factor for

war, or does it increase the chances of war in the future? In reality the aim of this research is to give a descriptive-analytical response to the expectation of war and

military conflict for Iran in the near future and how to confront it.

Iran's military experience

The formation of a modern government in Iran and following that the formation of an army in today's sense goes back to the first Pahlavi period. Our nation's declaration of a policy of neutrality in World War II led to our nation being occupied by the allies without

military conflict. Although, at that time Iran did not have military conflict with the occupiers, in the classic sense the non-military, economic and social dimensions of the

conflict were quite profound and irreparable for the nation.

Perhaps our nation's military experience in the modern sense before the revolution was limited to the manoeuvres that took place in the context of the CENTO [Central Treaty Organization] or the joint military exercises with some of the nations outside the region

and within the region.

On this account, the principal period of testing our nation's renovated army was the period of eight years of the Sacred Defence. Of course, the existence of the nation's

dual military structure after the Islamic Revolution which consisted of a classic army and its official organization and the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] and its people's

forces was one of the characteristics of the armed forces in the first decade of the revolution.

Along with the army's focus on instruments and technology, the human orientation and the emphasis on human factor was able to multiply Iran's military power several times in

the eight-year war and it become an influential model in contemporary military wars. Iran's offensive and defensive operations are based on three parts 1 - operations of the army of the Islamic Republic 2 - IRGC operations 3 - joint operations; each of these has

its own special characteristics.

It has been experienced from the eight years of the Sacred Defence that with the change in the concept of war from classic warfare to today's most-modern warfare and

the limitations of the international arms market it is not possible to turn to various arms strategies and one must follow our nation's unified strategy.

In this framework, with the arms and equipment procurement strategies which are 1 - strategy of self-sufficiency, which is a characteristic of the great powers 2 - strategy of joint projects with nations that have similar defence needs 3 - strategy of production

under license under which a concession is taken to produce weapons 4 - the strategy of arms imports, which is the easiest way and does not include research, development and production process and only has the problem of making the weapons operational in the

war system. The Islamic Republic of Iran follows an open policy that is mostly one of self-sufficiency and dependence on self. Of course, although, this strategy guarantees

the nation's independence, it is also considered the most costly option.

Possible scenarios for Iran's military clash, confrontation

We will quickly pass over the military conflict between Iran and Iraq in the eight years of war and the scattered efforts by some of the remnants of the Ba'th Party to regain

power in that nation, the record of limited conflict between Iran and America in the end of the Sacred Defence, the diplomatic struggle between Iran and the UAE in the year

1992 and its continuation in subsequent years, the conflict of interest between Iran and Israel after the Islamic revolution and their strategic enmity, the existing divergence in

relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Taleban's ability to threaten Iran, the unstable conditions between Iran and Azerbaijan and some of the other nations in the

northern geopolitical area and the other areas that could generate threats in the environment surrounding Iran.

In view of the importance of three scenarios of military conflict between Israel and Iran, America and Iran and the UAE and Iran, we will examine the possibilities and address

each of their military strategies.

Iran and Israel war scenario

This war option would be a combination of conventional and unconventional warfare if it takes place because Israel has 20 nuclear warheads and arsenal of chemical and

biological weapons and among the existing scenarios this will be one of the most likely scenarios for conventional and even unconventional war.

"In Israel's view Iran is the top security threat. Israel claims that the government of Iran is trying to become the region's principal power and take on the role of guiding the

Islamic jihad against Israel. In reality it threatens Israel's existence." [Punctuation as published]

In view of its shallow strategic depth, its small population and the existence of long-distance threats surrounding it, Israel's military strategy is based on an air strategy and

use of missiles and air weapons.

The strategic cooperation between Iran, Syria and Lebanon in recent years and Israel's countermeasures for strategic closeness and unity with Turkey and a number of Central

Asian nations and the Caucasus alongwith with NATO has created a military circle around Iran. Moreover, the efforts to expand relations with Russia and even India and

Pakistan are evaluated in this context. However, the reinforcement of relations between Turkey and Israel has weakened to some extent in recent months.

In reality this strategic cooperation is one of the existing coalitions in the Middle East and there is a possibility that a number of other players will get added to it. This coalition

could pose many threats to Iran. In this regard, Iran is trying to establish a balance of power by making coalition with other regional players and by playing in other regions of the world. However, traditional relations among the Arab nations on the one hand and the bilateral and multilateral treaties these nations have with governments outside the region, especially Europe and America, will leave Iran alone in trying to create security

measures independent of America in the Middle East and especially in the Persian Gulf.

Source: Resalat website, Tehran, in Persian 27 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEDel ta © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010.

Iranian experts to produce long-range S-300s missile system

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 26 September: Iran's Defence Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Sunday [26 September] that the Iranian experts are determined to produce missile

system S-300s.

Missile S-300s are mobile, long-range air defence system that can detect, track and destroy ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and low-altitude aircraft. Speaking to reporters,

he said that it would be disgrace for Russia for failure to abide by its pledges to this effect. The move indicates that Russia lacks political independence, underlined the Iranian minister. The efficiency of S-300s is now under question by Iranian military

experts, he said adding that the experts will produce a comprehensive long-range air defence system for the country. The ministry is also to deliver a series of flying boats to

IRGC naval forces in coming days, said the minister.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1340 gmt 26 Sep 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol FS1 FsuPol ks © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran's Armed Forces highly prepared to counter any threat - commander

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 22 September: Iran's Armed Forces are ready to encounter any foreign possible threats with power, a senior military official said Wednesday [22 September]

morning.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hasan Firuzabadi made the remarks during a ceremony in southern Tehran to commemorate the national Sacred Defence Week.

22 September is the start of the Sacred Defence Week in Iran which marks the anniversary of the beginning of Iraq's imposed war against the country in 1980. Iranians commemorate memories of the eight-year imposed war by holding various ceremonies nationwide. The national Sacred Defence Week ceremonies started at the Mausoleum

of the Founder of the Islamic Revolution the late Imam Khomeyni. It was started with the parade of different units of Iran's armed forces. The ceremony is being participated by senior military and government officials as well as foreign diplomats, military attaches and reporters. The major general said that experiences of eight-years of imposed war against Iran have empowered the Iranian Armed Forces including the Army and the

Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC). Firuzabadi stressed that the Army and IRGC were in full power and authority. He added that the eight-year imposed war has made

the Iranian nation further vigilant and well-prepared to nullify enemies' plots.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0705 gmt 22 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ks © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Army chief praises Iran's military might

The chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has praised Iran's military capabilities in an address at a military parade staged in Tehran on the 30th anniversary

of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. In his speech, broadcast live in full by Iranian state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam TV and in part by Iran's news channel and English-language

Press TV on 22 September, Maj-Gen Seyyed Hasan Firuzabadi said the USA was concerned about Iran's growing military might and that, having been unable to take

military action against Iran, Washington was supporting Iran's opposition leaders. The general said Iran was currently facing new battlefields like cyberwar and psychological

warfare. But Firuzabadi said America's spirit had weakened after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The following is an excerpt from Firuzabadi's speech as broadcast live by

state-run Iranian Arabic-language television news channel Al-Alam, state-run Iranian TV news channel, and Iranian state-run English-language news channel Press TV on 22

September; subheadings have been inserted editorially:

[Firuzabadi, in Persian with Arabic voice-over as broadcast on Al-Alam] Under the bow of the lovers' arrows, the aim will not miss its target. With this poetry by Imam

Khomeyni, may the mercy of God be upon him, we have to be Muhammedans, Alawis [followers of Ali, prophet's cousin] and Houseynis [followers of Houseyn, prophet's

grandson] in order to know the secrets behind the Islamic republic.

Those who approach the bliss will be taken by the drunkenness of the love for Imam Khomeyni. The great imam is the lantern of the steadfastness against the international imperialism and arrogance. On this anniversary in our blessed country we salute the martyrs and their dear families and all those rendered handicapped and those who

made sacrifices.

We send these greetings and mark the memory of the imam, the martyrs and the free. We mark the memory of the resistance and bravery of the army, the [Islamic Revolution] Guards [Corps], the Basij and the clans. We appreciate them today after three decades of the war imposed on the Islamic republic. The whole world knew that our light, our joy and hope is to be on the path of the late imam. The leader of the revolution said that the

path pursued by the imam was the only path for the people of the world. Since then, eight years of that era passed in the [Iraq-Iran] war following the message of Imam

Khomeyni.

The sacred defence and the nature of our people carry the scent of Imam Khomeyni, may the mercy of God be upon him. He said that the sacred defence week is a great

school. The period of the sacred defence that we tested is the beacon for the reincarnation of the Koran, Islam and the Imam in our souls and ourselves and in the

hearts of our fighters and Basij members and members of the armed forces. This is also in the Shi'i seminaries, universities, the culture and in all the corners and fields of our

government.

The slogans that we followed stuck in the minds of our armed forces and the sons of this people with the guardianship and the instructions of the leader of the nation. This

history of the Islamic republic was embraced by IRGC, the Basij, the military industries, the Defence Ministry, the tribes and the clans and those who are on the front of

steadfastness and the lovers of Imam Khomeyni who dedicated their lives for the defence of the Islamic republic and this holy homeland in face of the arrogant and the tyrant. They represent the beacon and the banner that flickers towards the free people

of the world.

One of the most important messages sent by the sacred defence week is the one sent by leader of the faithful Imam Ali Bin-Abi-Talib [fourth Muslim caliph and prophet's

cousin], peace be upon him. He said do not overlook the enemies and if you overlook them, their deception will wake you up from your deep slumber. Therefore, by marking the sacred defence week and its 30th anniversary and the appreciation of the memory

of the martyrs, this reminds us of vigilance and readiness of this people against the enemies.

War led to Iran's progress

These days mark the memory of the greatness of Imam Khomeyni and the sacrifices of this nation against the enemy. After that imposed war, we feel and see today the

blessings of that war with our naked eye at all levels and fields. How can we become indifferent to all the sacrifices? We should compare 1980, at the beginning of the war

that was imposed on us, with 2010.

In 1980, the war started. But 2010 is the year of the rise towards perfection and the power of the Islamic republic. In 1980, this revolution and the Islamic republic were

unknown to the world. The thoughts of Imam Khomeyni were not known to the people of the world. In this year, the thoughts of Imam Khomeyni, the unmatched leadership and the steadfastness against arrogance and the call for the liberation from the enemies of the Islamic revolution are shining and clear to the world. In 1980, the world was divided

between east and west, but this year is the year of the prosperity of the culture of Islamic Iran.

[Firuzabadi, in Persian, as broadcast live on Iran's news channel IRINN] The world can be divided into two poles and analysed - the spirituality of Islamic Iran, and arrogance

and supra-capitalism. Today the character of fair and wrong war has clearly taken shape. In 1359 [1980], the fledgling armed forces of the Islamic Republic demonstrated

poor performances under the command of [1979 Iranian President] Banisadr's government. That's to say the army was in the process of revolutionary cohesion and

self-recognition, and the Guards Corps was at its origins.

But in 1389 [2010], our armed forces, both the army or the [Guards] Corps, have the power of deterrence and the ability to respond to regional and extra-regional threats, while their technology and equipment is totally locally-made. Our Law Enforcement Force is at the peak of discipline and power and serves to ensure the security and

welfare of the people. The 30 years of experience in all fields, especially in the field of managing human resources and military supplies, have boosted the army and the

Guards Corp.

Muslims aware of America's "evil intentions"

Today Muslims of the world are aware of the evil intentions of global arrogance led by America. The experience of defeat in the war imposed on Iran created great fear of the Islamic Republic in the hearts of infidel armies. America's experience of defeat in four wars in the recent decade is a witness to this statement. America's spirit weakened in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Zionist regime's war against Hezbollah and Gaza. The

potential of former superpowers in the international arena declined with the emergence of regional and independent powers.

The failure of the experiment of velvet sedition and coloured revolutions in some countries made nations even more vigilant about arrogance, and the tricks of arrogance

aimed at deceiving nations became less effective.

The role of the forces of the Islamic Revolution in other parts of the world and their influence on deterring enemies is inestimable.

International restrictions and the lack of unity in public opinion in warmongering states set nations against these governments. The exposure of Zionism's role in interference in

corrupt and warmongering decisions in the world, especially in America, hurt their national dignity. As our dear leader said, all this infected the front of arrogance with

greater activity, that's to say with a greater fuss and rate race without any purpose. The issue of several resolutions, the imposition of sanctions, manipulations, accusations, efforts to maintain the dormant trend of sedition and the use of all tools [IRINN live

broadcast interrupted.]

[Firuzabadi, in Persian with overlaid translation into English as broadcast on Press TV] The confusion of the global arrogance's friends knows the experience and the

increasing awareness of the Islamic world in the past 30 years. On behalf of the armed forces and soldiers of Islam, for the commemoration of the imam and the soldiers who fought in the war, we would like to thank all the officials, the press, the IRIB [Iran state

broadcaster], news anchors, filmmakers, eulogisers, poets, and all those who selflessly and with perseverance have worked for the commemoration and remembrance of the

Sacred War, and those who fought in it.

Praise for people's loyalty to Imam Khomeyni

I would like to tell you a story about the imam. His son Seyyed Ahmad said that after Resolution 598 at the order of the imam people took to the streets and ran to the front-line. Later on the imam told me when it happened I realized that how much our people are loved by God. Please listen to this. The presence of the people at the scene and

their influx to the front-line of the war in our imam's mind is a blessing from God. People's adherence to the imam is considered a blessing from God. God toll the

Prophet tell your people if they love God and want to be loved by God, follow the orders of me so that God will love you.

In our armed forces, we pride ourselves that our leader Ayatollah Khamene'i has said that the advantage of the armed forces is that the army, the IRGC and our Basij have

the imam as their commander-in-chief. It was Imam Khomeyni who made the army dear to people. So, he did the IRGC and the Basij, made the Basij the school of love, and presented the culture of Basij, progress, technology and others to our dear nation.

[Passage omitted: more on army respecting Imam Khomeyni]

Iran facing psychological warfare

Imam Khomeyni said that the warfare for a nation is a big university. We look back at the lessons that we have learnt from this university. One - recognizing our enemies,

fighting disbelief; three - recognizing the new scenes of defence and battle. Wars are not just for the ground forces, the air force or the naval force, though they are related.

There are other battlefields now like the cyber warfare. Against the psychological war of the enemy and the so-called soft war, diplomatic defence, electronic war and space war

are the new battle fronts facing us.

Four - initiative and imposing one's will on the enemy, creativity and preparedness will help us create a deterrence in the face of threats from the enemy. The lessons of the

Sacred War are the kind of management, and today the management fashion after the Sacred War is helping the armed forces to progress. As it says in the Koran [Press TV

interpreter does not provide translation for the Arabic verse from the Koran].

Another lesson is turning threats to opportunities. One of the representations of this doctoring is turning threats to opportunities for self-sufficiency and strengthening

national beliefs. A lesson of the Sacred War and of the imam is national unity. It has always been stressed by our leader as well. Despite the desire of the enemy to create a

rift in our revolutionary society and undermine our unity, the unity between the government, people and among the masses, we have unity more than before on our

agenda.

During the Sacred War, soldiers and commanders only saw God and put their trust only in Him. Today too, the commanders of the armed forces follow the commander-in-chief

and the hidden imam. We always see God and confide in Him.

Another lesson from the Sacred War is that popular forces and armed forces rely on the popular base. Today, the armed forces with trust in God and with reliance on popular forces have found their sovereignty. Progress in science generation, in management,

organizational management, revolutionary plans and increasing efficiency are all on the agenda. We are the servants of the people and children of the nation, and soldiers of

the jurisconsult.

Iran has military edge in region

We would like to tell our people - we have the military edge in the region. But having our superior military edge does not depend on the number of tanks or planes or defence budget. We have changed that equation. Fortunately, even our enemies admit that

today the Islamic Republic of Iran's military might is the superior military power in the region. Iran's armed forces, the army, the IRGC [Iran Revolution Guards Corps], the ground forces, the Defence Ministry, the Basij, and other defence and security forces

are all working for the good of the nation, playing roles inside the country and are ready to confront any threat.

Our armed forces in terms of serving the people are ready out there. The armed forces' capabilities are being used to serve the people, and they are being used to better serve

the people. Work that they have done are constructing dams, electricity lines, the economic infrastructure. Today, the construction Basij are serving the people and

making villages an easier place to live in.

USA concerned about Iran's military capability

Let us listen to what the enemy is saying as well. The US secretary of state, who has heard and seen about the progress that the Iranian armed forces have made, has said

she was worried about Iran's military capability. We tell her that Iran's military forces are deterrent against invasions from other countries and for the defence of our country

against foreign threats. Hillary Clinton has expressed this concern and disappointment with the inability to take military action against Iran and decided to create sedition in Iran and has said that the US government is trying to support the leaders of sedition in Iran.

The important thing is the state secretary of the US has confessed that she has had meetings with the leaders of the unrest in Iran. That shows the betrayal on the part of

the leaders and should be followed up by the judiciary's relevant officials.

In the past years such moves have been taken to undermine the Islamic Revolution, but with the grace of God, support of people and perseverance of officials the plots of the

enemies were all foiled and the Islamic Revolution has remained in place.

Praises religious leadership

The slogans of the imam are still alive. The leadership of the jurisprudence is still there, that is indicative of national self-reliance. Today Iran is the scene of hard work and

rebuilding. I would like to say at the end that the spirit of revolution [as heard]. [Translated from Persian as broadcast on Press TV] What we have inherited from the time of the imam and the time of the Sacred Defence is the teaching of the leadership and commander of the supreme leader and second, Mahdaviyyat. Everything we have

in this country originates from these two. [Press TV live broadcast interrupted]

[Firuzabadi, in Persian with overlaid translation into Arabic, as broadcast by Al-Alam] Our unity, greatness, independence, the bravery of our nation and all the successes of our people in science and international politics stem from the religious leadership and guardianship of the jurisconsult. America and Zionism came to take away these two

qualities from us. You have to be vigilant. The sons of our people know how to safeguard themselves by relying on the jurisconsult and the religious teachings. [Farsi poetry] We gave ourselves to the love of God; we put our hearts on the flood of the sea waves, for the love of God. Peace be upon you, lord of age. Be free in your lives and we

wish you success.

Sources: Al-Alam TV, Tehran, in Arabic 0443 gmt 22 Sep 10; Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, Tehran, in Persian 0453 gmt 22 Sep 10; Press TV, Tehran, in English

0456 gmt 22 Sep 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 220910 sa/ek/aa © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran general dismisses sanctions cites domestic military self-sufficiency

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 21 Sept, IRNA: Vice-Commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) General Hoseyn Salami said Iran's military equipment and production make

west's sanctions 'ineffective'.

General Salami, on the sidelines of inauguration ceremony of the Sacred Defence exhibition [chronicling the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88] here on Tuesday [21 Sep]

afternoon, told reporters that the road to progress in Iran is being followed adding that the west's confrontation with Iran will have a positive and constructive effect on Iranians'

morale and determination.

He said that memoirs of war is a national heritage that should not be forgotten adding that war is a big event which builds the history in a country. The exhibition dubbed as "Memoirs of a Friend" started its work on Tuesday. Military equipment like anti-armour

guided missiles "Sa'iqeh 2", anti-heavy armour guided missiles "Tufan", Shahin Missile, anti-armour guided missiles "Ra'ad", tanks, military and defensive machines, different

types of military vessels and boats as well as satellite rocket "Safir" have been displayed in the exhibition.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1855 gmt 21 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ka © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran launches new generation of Fateh-110 missile - TV

Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 21 September

[Presenter] On the threshold of Sacred Week, the first batch of the third generation of Fateh-110 was officially delivered to the Aerospace Forces of the Islamic Revolution

Guards Corps [IRGC] by the participation of the minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics [Ahmad Vahidi] and the commander of the Aerospace Forces of the IRGC.

[Vahidi] The third generation of Fateh-110 missile and its valuable specification, such as its increased range, accuracy, and its many updated subclasses, were tested less than

a month ago. It has successfully passed its tests. The missile shows Iran's high capability in mass producing a product in less than a month following its test and

delivery.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 0959 gmt 21 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol as © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran to test new generation of Fateh-110 missile in "near future" - minister

Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi has said that Iran will test the new generation of the Fateh-110 missile in the "near future", the conservative Fars news agency reported

on 21 September 10.

The minister, who was speaking during a ceremony to hand over the first batch of the third generation of the Fateh-110 missile to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps

(IRGC) Aerospace Industries, added that these missiles would enhance the capabilities and operational movements of the IRGC Aerospace Industries' missile units.

Fars noted that the third generation of the Fateh-110 missile, which has been manufactured with the use of state of the art defence technology and science, has higher precision and can be stored in various weather conditions and climates. In addition, due to its ultrasonic speed and manoeuvrability, this missile can counter

enemy defence and missile systems.

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 0600 gmt 21 Sep 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol aa © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran has technology to trace radar-evading aircraft - official

Brig-Gen Mohammad Hasan Mansurian, deputy head for interaction at the Khatam ol-Anbia air defence base has said that Iran has discovered the technology for tracking

radar-evading aircraft, Mehr news agency reported on 19 September.

According to Mehr, Brig-Gen Hasan Mansurian was born in the year 1338 (20 March 1959-20 March 1956) in Semnan Province. He holds a Master's degree in management

and has passed various courses inside and outside the country on air defence. He joined the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Iranian year 1358 (1979-

1980) and served at the frontline during the Iran-Iraq war for 80 months.

He held executive positions and in committees such as a battalion commander, a group commander, head of IRGC air defence, head of air defence committee, and at the

moment he is serving as the deputy head for interaction at the Khatam ol-Anbia air defence.

In an interview with Mehr on the occasion of the upcoming Sacred Defence Week, Mansurian was asked if Iran had access to the technology for tracking radar-evading aircraft, to which he replied: "Yes. Given our advances in building radars of various

ranges, we can definitely trace radar-evading aircraft. Of course all these are the result of the opportunities created by the West's sanctions. We hope this technology will

develop further and are certain that it will."

Commenting on interaction between the IRGC and the army at Khatam ol-Anbia air defence base he said: "Interaction between the army and the IRGC at the base is really

good now. Basically this is one of the reasons for our presence here. Since, the country's air defence is under the command of the Islamic Republic's army; therefore, the main reason behind the presence of a number of IRGC brothers in this base is to

create unity, solidarity and efficient use of all the army and IRGC capabilities. In addition, one of the serious aims of higher rank committees is to establish interaction in

methods based on logical interactions within this group.

"With the separation of air defence from army's air force, and its independent operation, we have witnessed closer cordial ties between the army and IRGC personnel. In addition, due to various reasons all the factors involved in air defence have to be

considered as one unit. Of course, as per the Supreme Leader's [Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i's] policies, it has been decided that the air defence would be managed jointly by interaction among the army and IRGC brothers to achieve better performance than

before."

In response to a question whether interaction between the army and the IRGC would lead to duplication of bodies, he said: "Since the scope of our operations' requirements across the country is very vast due to various reasons, air defence requirements across

the country have increased, particularly need for surface-to-air units. One of its main reasons can be observed in the fast and progressive growth of offensive units in

threatening countries. Extensive investments are done by threatening countries in this field, such as radar-evading aircrafts, drones, electronic warfare aircrafts, long-range

aircrafts, surface-to-surface missiles such as cruise missiles and [ellipses as published]. Therefore, after this brief explanation one can claim that the army and IRGC measures

and capabilities cannot be considered as duplication, but instead due to threatening countries' day to day technological developments, they [army, IRGC] have equipped the

[air]defence with more efficient facilities and equipments."

Source: Mehr news agency, Tehran, in Persian 0657 gmt 19 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sr

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010Summary of Iranian army programme 1250 gmt 15 Sep

Summary of Iranian army programme 1250 gmt 15 Sep

A. 1251 Report over video on the operation of IRGC Air Forces base located at Bandar-Abbas. Correspondent interviews officers about their routine training and duties at the

base. The report also contains footage of flight sorties carried out by the pilots.

B. 1305 End of programme

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1250 gmt 15 Sep 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol aa/eg © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010Iran to stage major anti-aircraft drills

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 4 September

A senior commander with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) says the force is set to stage a military manoeuvre to test-fire its newly manufactured anti-aircraft

equipment.

The commander of the anti-aircraft post of the Khatamolanbia Headquarters, Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani, said on Saturday [4 September] that the Iranian Armed Forces

will stage a manoeuvre across the country in late September or early October.

"The new anti-aircraft systems of the Khatamolanbia Headquarters will be test-fired and evaluated in the military drill," Miqani was quoted by Fars news agency as saying.

Iran has staged several military drills in 2010 to demonstrate the country's military capabilities.

Several surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, compatible with destroyers and upgraded hovercrafts were test-fired in the Velayat 89 drills staged by the Army and the

Air Force in May.

In addition, the Iranian Air Force took part in the week-long Fada'ian-e Harim-e Velayat 2 military manoeuvres in the country's western province of Hamadan in August.

Also in August, Iran unveiled its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) named Karrar (Frequent Attacker). The drone is capable of flying

long distances at a very high speed.

Iran also inaugurated the production line of two other domestically-built UAVs with bombing and reconnaissance capabilities last month.

The two hi-tech drones named 'Ra'd' (Thunder) and 'Nazir' (Harbinger) are capable of performing long-range reconnaissance, patrolling, assault and bombing missions with

high precision.

Iran has launched a campaign for self-sufficiency in the country's defence industry, inaugurating numerous military equipment projects, including aerial and sea-borne

military vehicles such as submarines, combat frigates, and various types of missiles.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1649 gmt 4 Sep 10

BBC Mon Alert TCU ME1 MEPol 050910 ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Voluntary forces must be prepared to foil enemy ploys - Iran official

Text of report headlined "Semnan Guards Corps commander: Efforts against enemy must be doubled" published by Iranian provincial newspaper Payam-e Ostan-e Semnan

on 23 August

The deputy commander of Semnan province's 12th Hazrat-e Qa'em Brigade said: "Nowadays, enemy efforts against us have doubled and, to deal with the enemy, we

must also double our determination."

In a gathering of 400 Basijis in Baqer ol-Ulum Mosque, members of Damghan township's [in Semnan province of Iran] Imam Hoseyn Battalion, IRGC Colonel Nurollah Behnam said: "The system owes its stability and endurance to the martyrs' pure blood."

He added: "To prevent their country from falling into enemy hands, the Iranian nation stood, with all its might, against the enemy during eight years of Holy Defence

[reference to Iran Iraq war]. With the grace of God, they won and held the winning card in their hands, and this was the result of resistance and endurance."

The deputy commander of Semnan province's 12th Brigade pointed out: "Today, the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran has a place inside the hearts of other

countries, and these countries are counting on Iran and they wish to cooperate with Iran in all fields." He further added: "Today, the duty of the Iranian nation and the martyrs' survivors is to renew our pledges with the ideals of the martyrs and the devotees from

the eight year Holy Defence period."

He explained: "It is our duty to reacquaint the younger generation with how the war came to be and to convey its achievements to them because they have no recollection of that time, and we have to bring them up-to-date with all the truths and realities." The IRGC colonel added: "Today, our Basijis must prepare themselves, through learning

and training, to confront the ploys adopted by enemies who are using different means of infiltration. Everybody is aware of the role played by the Basij and Basijis in neutralizing

the enemies' conspiracies and, wherever Basij is present, enemies shake in their boots." He stated: "Today, the duty of all of us is to preserve and guard the Islamic Revolution's achievements and Islamic values, and we have to try harder than ever

before to strengthen these achievements."

It has to be mentioned that this gathering took place with the objective of maintaining better solidarity among the Basijis of Damghan township's Imam Hoseyn Battalion,

where more than 400 Basijis were present.

Source: Payam-e Ostan-e Semnan, Semnan, in Persian 28 Aug 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEDel ta © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Navy commander details Iran's military capabilities

Text of interview Hoseyn Nikpur/the Political Desk headlined "Our defence potential is beyond enemy's comprehension" published by Iranian newspaper Jaam-e Jam on 28

August

Under normal circumstances many might believe that it would not be prudent to engage in discussions about war and possible attacks [on the country] in an interview with a

military official. But when an American military official issues threats and openly indicates that the plan to attack Iran is ready, one becomes curious to find out how our country's officials respond to these threats. Although, the high-ranking officials in our

country have already reacted to such threats in the last few days, it would be interesting to hear a military official talking in some details about how the Islamic Republic of Iran

would react to any possible aggression against the country. The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy [IRGCN] describes our country's capabilities on

the sea and discusses our enemy's military weaknesses and vulnerabilities in an interview with Jam-e Jam [Online]. He also calls on the enemy to review the incidents

that took place in the years 1366 and 1367 [1987 and 1988]. [IRGC Navy Commander-in-Chief] Ali Fadavi emphasizes that given its [current] capabilities, the Islamic Republic

of Iran is able to create situations [sic] in the case of any aggression against the country.

The full account of this interview is as follows:

[Hoseyn Nikpur] What are the capabilities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy compared to those of the other countries in and outside the region?

[Ali Fadavi] The capabilities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy are based on four pillars or foundations. One is the capabilities of the IRGC naval vessels, and naturally this constitutes the main pillar of our capabilities. The reason is that the

domain of our activity is the sea and vessels are the main factor in this capability. As the extension of this capacity, we have the air-sea capabilities. The air-sea capabilities

include crafts that are used on the sea but move above the surface such as choppers, flying vessels, and different types of hovercraft. In addition to these air-sea capabilities,

we also have a host of surface-to-sea missiles and the marines. All these combined make up the four pillars of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. Naturally,

alongside these set of operational capabilities, there are various support systems that make operations possible. For example, to have a successful operation, it is important to have access to accurate information. So, there is host of preparation, maintenance, engineering, reconnaissance, and communication networks that provide support and

make operations possible. Our operational assets as far as the vessels are concerned are comprised of a complete combination of Ashura, Tariq, and Zolfaghar class vessels

which are quite large in numbers. These vessels, in fact, form the main body of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. Of course, we also have larger vessels with

missile launching capabilities as well as logistic and patrol ships, but Ashura, Tariq, and Zolfaghar class vessels make up the bulk of our operational assets. These vessels are

divided into different categories according to their capabilities whether they fire missiles, torpedoes, or rockets. There are also special vessels [sic] which are used to lay mines. One of the main characteristics of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy is that it has always been at the centre of attention is the availability of a very large number of vessels in every class and category. When you look at other countries' navies, you would see that they only have a limited number of vessels with missile launching

capabilities. Even in a large country such as the US, the warships make up about 50 per cent, or even less than 50 per cent, of all the vessels of the navy. They have about 500 vessels, and out of this number about 270 are warships. Meanwhile, it is interesting to

note that the US military is the most powerful military in the world.

It is not like that we have a limited number of vessels with missile firing capabilities in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. The number of vessels in this service is in

fact very large. We have hundreds of vessels of every class at our disposal. These vessels, besides being available in large numbers, have also another characteristic and that is, they are as small as they could be. Being small is a very important factor on the

sea, which has many benefits. For instance, it is very difficult for the radar and electronic systems to keep good track of these vessels. They also make difficult targets,

and missile systems are not able to hit these small vessels. In fact, because of their small size, they are less vulnerable and more immune to the enemy's fire power. On the other hand, we have speed criteria for our vessels; they are very fast, and their speed is more than twice that of the maximum speed of the warships in the world. This provides

our vessels with a special capability. It allows them to arrive at the battle scene very quickly and display a high fire power with the aid of their weapon systems, which

include missiles and torpedoes. Furthermore, the range of our vessels, despite their small size, is such that it enables us to cover all the regions that we are responsible for and to be [actively] present at the scene of possible battle[s] and confront the enemy.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Your comments shed some light on the reasons for why the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy has favoured small vessels. Given these reasons, don't

we have any plans to produce large vessels?

[Ali Fadavi] Large vessels do not have a place in the main organization of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. The reason is that large vessels are vulnerable;

choosing large vessels means that you play in the enemy's court and under his rules. The enemy's great facility in dealing with the large vessels deprives your vessels in

many cases even from participating in the battles, and naturally, it would not be able to make use of its capabilities. You are faced with this problem at a time that, from a

material point of view, our enemies appear to have the greatest military capabilities in the history [of the world]. Under such circumstances, we cannot play in their court and

arm ourselves according to the terms they define. We have to define our own terms and define them according to our own parameters. Our hopes and objectives, the threats

that we are facing, our geography, our technology, our industry, our economy, and other characteristics that our country has all play a role in deciding what arms we need and

how we should equip ourselves. The way that our enemies define their military [organization] does not have much to do with the countries such as ours and other

similar countries. Even if you look at the situation from an economic point of view, you see that with the money that is required to have a big warship you can often build and

have a thousand small vessels. Meanwhile, there is no comparison between the operational capabilities of one big warship and those of those thousand vessels.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Recently, you have announced that the speedy Bladerunner vessel that the Islamic Republic of Iran has armed with missiles will enter service from 1390 [2011], could you describe these vessels and explain how Iran has obtained them?

[Ali Fadavi] This is a vessel that is used in boat races, and we have obtained it from the UK. This vessel's speed is about 72 knots (140 kilometres per hour). Meanwhile, the average speed of regular warships in the world is around 30 knots. Therefore, arming these crafts with missile and torpedo systems is a big leap forward in the development of these vessels. What is important here is that, everywhere in the world, including in the UK and the US, these crafts are used as speed boats in boat races. What gives

these craft a different identity is what we have done with them. This craft with its high speed and extraordinary balance assumes a different role when armed with a missile

system. The importance of the new role that this craft can play is such that it caused the president of the US to express concern sometime ago about our ability to achieve that

capability.

When the vessel was en route to Iran about one and half year ago, it was surrounded by the US Navy warships in the Indian Ocean about 650 miles outside of [the Iranian port of] Chahbahar. It was surrounded by these US warships from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Finally, after our forces appeared on the scene, the American warships left the area and the Bladerunner vessel reached to the country. Although, this incident happened about a year and half ago, it is interesting that the president of the US has expressed concern about it only recently. This shows that they are not as fully informed of all the issues as

they claim to be; this is not the case at all.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] The American military threats against our country have always been present, albeit with different degrees of intensity, and have never been taken off the table. Recently, these threats have somewhat increased. As a military official, how

seriously do you take these threats and how do they affect your calculations?

[Ali Fadavi] It is not important at all to us what is going on inside their head[s]. What is important is that we are in a state of full preparedness and constantly improving and

becoming [even] more prepared. I think, we have often seen similar conditions and have been the target of psychological operations at different junctures in the last few years.

At one point, they even named 19 different areas in Iran and said that these areas would be attacked. But they never dared to take the least of action against us. I think there is no comparison between our conditions today, our capabilities and power of

deterrence, and those of the previous years. Our enemies are aware of many of these things.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Have these threats affected the political line ups [sic] of our arm forces in any way? For instance, has the transfer of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy

[IRGCN] units to Bandar Abbas been due to these threats?

[Ali Fadavi] Generally speaking, presence on the scene is a principal consideration. The transfer of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy units to Bandar Abbas was ordered by the Exalted Supreme Leader sometime ago. During the early days of my mission in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy, we began the preliminary preparations for the transfer of the IRGCN units to Bandar Abbas and then we transferred the forces.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] At the present time, which countries besides Iran are playing a role in providing security at the Strait of Hormuz?

[Ali Fadavi] We have all the necessary parameters to provide security and control the region in the best possible way, be that the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz. We have complete military and deterrence capabilities. We also possess capabilities that

the region's geography, energy, and human resources of the Islamic Republic as well as its cultural and historical capacities put at our disposal. In short, we have all the

capabilities that are needed to provide security [in this region].

Naturally, these capabilities bring security for us and the countries in this region, and this is very different from the objectives that the foreigners are pursuing in the region. The objectives that the foreigners are pursuing are not legitimate and have nothing to

do with the [interests of the] countries in the region. Instead, their presence in the region is merely due to the desire to control the world and for the purpose of putting pressure

on the countries in this region. In our view, the countries in this region share all the same geography and have many religious and cultural commonalities. Our interests and those of the other countries in the region are the same, but this is not true in the case of our enemies. Our enemies have proved their enmity towards us and also towards the

other countries in the region. They, in fact, do not honour the sovereignty of the countries in the region and do whatever they want in some of the countries in this area.

The capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran and what it is able to accomplish enable it to confront the actions of the enemies that come from outside this region. When it

comes to the countries in the region, our strategies are based on the notion of collective security. However, when it comes to our enemies, the strategy is the decisive

confrontation.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] My question is that: besides the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy, do other countries in the region actively participate in providing security in the

region?

[Ali Fadavi] Currently, there is a trend of cooperation between us and the other countries in the region. We have comprehensive relations with some of the countries in the region, which also has a military dimension. Military representatives from different

countries participated in the military exercises that we had at the beginning of the year. This shows that we have relations and dealings with these countries at the highest

levels, which is a military relationship.

Of course, because of some influences and pressures that sometimes come from the countries outside of this region, we experience some ups and downs in these relations

as well and sometimes there are even some statements. For instance, recently the ambassador from one of the countries in the region to the US made some foolish

remarks. But that country's officials reacted to those remarks even before we did and rapidly took back those statements denying their validity. So, we are also faced with such things. But these are inconsequential. What is important and real is the strong

commonalities between us and the people in the region.

We all believe in the same religion and share the same geography. We have the same interests and face the same threats. We share many of our oil and gas fields with the countries that are at the southern shores of the Persian Gulf. In fact, we and the other

countries in the region drink water from the same glass. In such situation, it is the commonalities that at the end define the reality of our relations. Some unsuitable

stances that we see on rare occasions are due to the mischievous interferences by the countries outside of the region that are pursuing their own interests.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] You had indicated at someplace that, in case of the slightest of aggression by the enemies, you will deliver a "very special" and "very appropriate"

response. Could you describe the quality of such a response in greater detail?

[Ali Fadavi] We have a saying that says, "You never come to truly appreciate what you hear until you see it." The reason that I mention this saying is that our enemies would never be able to fully understand our defence capabilities until they come to feel it. Of course, they have come to feel that power to some degree in the past. I have pointed

out in my remarks before that the value of an American frigate is about one billion dollars. In 1366 [1988] the enemies witnessed the destruction of one of their one-billion-dollar frigates (the guided missile frigate Samuel B. Roberts). The Americans will never forget that incident. The destruction of such a great frigate is not a simple matter and

would not be easily forgotten; or the crash of the American chopper during the Persian Gulf War is not something that they would forget. These are all signs that show that the

claims that the Americans have made in the past and continue to make today are unfounded. At the time of the Persian Gulf War a new trend had started in the media,

and the CNN also had just began its work as a network; so, in order to promote itself, it was trying to have live broadcasts of the events and the developments in the Persian

Gulf. It was in this context that the CNN covered the crash of the American chopper and its recovery by the Iranian forces in 1366 [1987-88] in one of its live broadcasts. If you search the CNN archives you can find the pictures there. It would be a good idea for

you to look at the news reports for the years 1366 and 1367 [1987-88 and 1988-89] to see what happened between the US and the IRGC Navy. The Americans generally pay great attention to such matters. You will find that, if a nation is determined, it will achieve

great capabilities that would enable it to respond to any threats in an appropriate manner. Of course, I recently conducted a study to see where the current US officials

were in 1366 and 1367 [1987-88 and 1988-89] and what were they doing at that time. I noticed that almost all the senior US officials were not doing anything at that time that

relates to their current responsibilities. Obama was in the university at that time and was busy with studies and student-related issues. Hillary Clinton, besides being a student [sic], was also busy posturing as a woman trying to make her husband the governor.

Besides these issues, what is important is that this geography by itself is a very important deterrent. Therefore, any aggression by our enemies will meet with a decisive

military response by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy. Of course, there are other organizations and forces in other areas that will also deliver an appropriate

response to any act of aggression [against our country].

[Hoseyn Nikpur] In case of individual acts of aggression that can take place, let us say by an enemy vessel, would Iran respond in kind or would it deliver a massive response?

[Ali Fadavi] We are currently in the battlefield, and various situations and conditions exist in such an arena. What is important is that we have great many capabilities that

enable us to take the initiative and create situations. Of course, this is a principle for the believers, and the believers must not be affected by the events; instead, they should

[take the initiative and] create events by themselves. This is also the situation here. We would take the best possible action in the arena of the conflict. Under certain conditions we might respond in kind to that enemy vessel that has engaged in aggression against

us or we might choose to undertake a different course of action under different conditions.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Is it possible that the enemies' military bases on the Persian Gulf shores could come under attack?

[Ali Fadavi] Given the surface-to-sea missile capabilities that are available to us, we can take action against our enemies at sea as well as on the coasts. Also, the surface -to-surface missile capability that is available to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps units

having a great range makes it possible for them to hit any target with great precision. No location that belongs to our enemies would ever be secure. It does not make any difference to us whether these targets are in the sea, on the coasts, or on land.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Are you monitoring the US bases in the countries of the region?

[Ali Fadavi] If there is an American base, it does not belong to [text: relate to] the countries in the region. We honour the territories of the countries in the region as we

honour our own territory. But when it is said that such and such location is a US base, then it means that that place belongs to the US and, in case of any conflict with the US,

we will target the Americans.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] If the American vessels take any action against our country from a location outside the Persian Gulf, can the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy still

take action against them?

[Ali Fadavi] Our response is not confined to a specific geography and is not limited to the Persian Gulf. Of course, the geography of the Persian Gulf is very unique, and all

these plans are due to the fact that the enemies want to control this geography. Therefore, naturally this place continues to be very important.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Sometime ago some Arab media published news that indicated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has stationed some snipers at the Strait of Hormuz. How much

truth is there in these reports?

[Ali Fadavi] These assertions are totally unfounded. Is the Strait of Hormuz 500 meters wide to be protected by snipers? The narrowest point at the Strait of Hormuz, which is

between our Lark Island and Oman's Musandam peninsula, is 45 kilometres wide. Therefore, assertions such as these that Iran wants to station snipers there are not well conceived. The longest range that a sniper can cover is two kilometres, and even this range is only possible with new weapons, which of course we have and fully utilize. To protect the Strait of Hormuz we use a complete and appropriate set of mobile surface-

to-sea and sea-to-sea missile systems that cover the entire length of the Islamic Republic's coastline (2,000 kilometres) from the Arvand River [on the Iran-Iraq border] to the Pasa Bandar region, the most eastern point of our sea coastline. These [missile]

systems with their great range cover the Strait of Hormuz, the entire region of the Persian Gulf, the northern part of the Sea of Oman, as well as some northern regions of the Indian Ocean. These systems are available to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy in great numbers and enable us to hit many targets simultaneously. The important point here is that the Strait of Hormuz serves as a chokepoint for the enemies and the

region, and it is only natural for us to use a wide range of the capabilities that are available to us and I pointed out in my remarks to establish security in this area and to

act against the enemies that are trying to undermine the region's security. The Americans have claimed to establishing security for a long time, but in the recent years wherever they have gone, they have undermined the security in that area. During the years of [the Iran-Iraq] war they claimed that they had come to the Persian Gulf region

to secure the flow of energy, but their actions undermined the very security of what they claimed wanted to protect. At that time, the Americans with the help of Iraqis created

conditions in the Persian Gulf that caused about 500 ships to be hit. Is this the security?!

[Hoseyn Nikpur] To which countries did those ships belong?

[Ali Fadavi] These were the ships that were hit during the eight years of the [Iran-Iraq] war. Many of these ships belonged to us and many ships were coming to our country.

So naturally, when we were given the mission to retaliate in kind, we targeted ships that were delivering aid or arms to our enemies or were serving the American objectives. What this meant is the absence of security, which was caused by the coming of the Americans to the Persian Gulf. Before the Americans came to the Persian Gulf, the

IRGCN (the Noah Base) was one of the three IRGC camps that were engaged in land operations against Iraq. But towards the middle of Karbala 5 operations in Shalamcheh, we became a separate IRGC organization and were sent to the Persian Gulf. We would have never come to this region if they [the Americans] had not created insecurity in the

Persian Gulf. We came to the Persian Gulf only after the Americans came here and directly or indirectly targeted our ships.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] In the recent UN Security Council sanctions against Iran, there is a section that allows other countries to search the Islamic Republic of Iran's ships. Have our ships been searched to date and how would the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps

Navy respond to such searches should they take place?

[Ali Fadavi] We have not received any specific reports of such searches of Iranian ships yet. But our specific policy would be to retaliate in kind. That is to say, if an action is

taken [against us] we would react immediately and act against any country that searches our ships. We would carry the same action against that country and perhaps

do even a little more. There are many ways to react and take action in kind, the dimensions of which would become clear when action is taken. It would depend on the

kind of imprudent actions that our enemies might take against us.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] Recently there was an incident with a Japanese ship in the Persian Gulf. At first terrorism was ruled out as the cause of this incident, but later the Al-

Qa'idah assumed the responsibility for this act. What was the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the incident?

[Ali Fadavi] The issue of the Japanese ship, this was a very suspicious incident. The incident took place in the eastern region of the Strait of Hormuz. We were monitoring

the communications of this Japanese vessel from the moment that it stated the situation and called for help. We were listening to all the communications and were fully aware of

what was happening. Sometime later the Al-Qa'idah took the responsibility for the incident. The ship was not damaged, and the Omani officials also indicated that the

incident was an accident and no attacks were carried out [against the ship]. The pictures that were published also showed no significant damages to the ship. Therefore, it appears that this incident was part of a plot to undermine the security of this region. In

my opinion, this is a trend that might continue in future in order to make this region appear being insecure. This is what the Americans did in 1365 [1986-87] in order to establish a stronger presence in the region. But the Americans are no longer able to fabricate incidents and manipulate the reality as they did in the 1360s [1980s]. The

reason is that they no longer have the same control over the media that they had in the 1360s [1980s], and also the people of the world have come to see their true nature.

Fabricating the reality has now lost its effect, and the US government is no longer able to mislead even its own people by such methods let alone the aware peoples in other

parts of the world and especially in the Middle East.

[Hoseyn Nikpur] You mean to say that in your opinion the Americans are using such scenarios because they intend to widen their presence in the Persian Gulf?

[Ali Fadavi] What they are after in reality is to have a greater justification for their presence in the region. They already have a strong presence here in the region, in the

southern Persian Gulf countries, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan. What they actually want is to have a greater pretext or justification for their presence in the region

and their continued mischief against us, especially when it comes to waging a psychological war [against the Islamic Republic].

Source: Jam-e Jam website, Tehran, in Persian 28 Aug 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEDel za © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Ex-Guards Corps chief calls for military preparedness on all fronts - Iran paper

Text of report by Political Desk headlined "Ex-IRGC chief calls for military preparedness on all fronts" published by Iranian newspaper Tehran Times on 25 August

The former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has called on the Iranian Armed Forces to be prepared to counter any US or Israeli military adventure

against Iran on all fronts. In the event of any aggression against the Islamic Republic, the Iranian military should be prepared to respond both in and outside of the Middle East region, although the Zionist regime and the US are not in a position to launch a

military attack against Iran, he said.

On Tuesday, Maj-Gen Yahya Rahim Safavi stated that it is imperative that the Iranian Armed Forces be fully prepared to defend Iran's territorial integrity and to counter any

attack by the enemy, even outside of the region. Safavi, who currently serves as a senior military advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i, also noted that

threats by the enemies should not be underestimated, emphasizing that it is prudent to stay on high alert in the face of external threats.

Safavi's remarks come as the US and Israel have intensified their rhetoric of military assault against Iran over its nuclear program. In an interview with Fox News on 13

August, John R Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN, said Israel had only eight days to launch an attack on the Bushehr nuclear plant, saying it would become

"immune" from an Israeli attack after it is loaded with nuclear fuel rods.

"Once the rods are in the reactor, an attack on the reactor risks spreading radiation in the air, and perhaps into the water of the Persian Gulf," Bolton said In an interview

broadcast on the NBC network's program Meet the Press on 1 August, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said that Washington has drawn up plans

to attack Iran in order to stop its nuclear activities. The Bushehr nuclear power plant was launched on 21 August as engineers loaded the first of 163 fuel rods into the reactor under the supervision of the IAEA. The US claims Iran is using its civilian nuclear energy program as a cover for a nuclear weapons program, a charge the

Islamic Republic strongly denies.

Source: Tehran Times website in English 25 Aug 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEDel sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran's IRGC issues statement on readiness to confront "enemies"

Islamic Revolutions Guards Corps (IRGC) has issued a statement emphasizing following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamene'i, solidarity and awareness against "plots and plans of the Revolution's enemies" and readiness to confront any possible "stupidity

by the USA and the Zionist regime", Fars news agency reported on 19 August.

According to this report, it was said in the statement: "By following the teachings and instructions of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces [Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i], by

reliance on our defence capabilities, and having complete awareness of the country's current situation, it [IRGC] has reached a readiness level enabling it to seriously and

decisively confront any practical threat and possible stupidity by minor and major enemies. And with the help of the Islamic countries mobilization capacity it would be able to target their interests at any desired point and impose a definite defeat on the

enemies in a fateful fight."

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 1108 gmt 19 Aug 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sr © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Purchase of Bladerunner 51 boat "leap forward" for Iran navy - top officer

Text of report by state-run Iranian radio on 11 August

[Presenter] The commander of the navy of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] has said that Iran has obtained the world's fastest missile-launching warship. According to Admiral Ali Fadavi, while this vessel was being transported from South Africa, it was surrounded by fifteen 50-metre-long American ships for 18 hours. It was delivered to Iran under the escort of the Guards Corps. You certainly want to hear more details

about it. Seyyed Mehdi Ja'fari has the report.

[Correspondent] Admiral Ali Fadavi's first news conference in his capacity as commander of the IRGC navy, the force that moved to Bandar-e Abbas with its

structure a while ago in order to implement the new strategy of the Guards Corps based on patrolling the sea [as heard], had a lot of messages for the domestic and foreign

audience. At his news conference, Fadavi said that the Guards Corps has obtained the world's fastest British boat Bladerunner 51 for the first time. The way Iran obtained this boat has strongly worried Obama, and it was so important that the commander of the

IRGC navy described its purchase as a leap forward in the capability of the navy.

[Ali Fadavi] When this vessel was transported from South Africa to Iran one and a half years ago, the ship carrying this vessel was surrounded by American ships from 0600 to

2200. After an IRGC helicopter loaded missile-launching vessels and a special IRGC naval unit on that ship, the Americans did not dare to touch and halt the ship. This

vessel was made by a British company. As all media said, it is a Bladerunner vessel.

The design of this ship is totally different. I know personally people who in fact designed it. They worked for 30 years to ensure that this ship is not just a little bit more advanced,

but represents a leap forward in shipbuilding in the world.

This vessel is at our disposal. In 1390 [Iranian year starting from 20 March 2010], there will be a greater number of them in the Guards Corps navy. It is not that we do not have

them now, we do have them, but if we will have more of them in the 15th [as heard].

The vessels is for sailing contests, it is not a missile or torpedo-launching ship. This is something that people use for sailing contests in the world. The thing that turns it into

the ship which made the American president express concern and say that he will personally follow up how this ship went [to Iran] at a time when they [Iranians] are being sanctioned in European countries and elsewhere, is not the ship itself. The main thing is

the work that has been done here. The missile-launcher was not installed on this ship

elsewhere, it was installed here. We did the same thing last year, too. For certain, a country like Britain is hundreds of years ahead of other countries in the issue of

designing boats. We do not need to start from where they started. We are starting from the point they have reached now - by attaining the highest peaks of technology. During the war [presumably Iran-Iraq war], we bought a ship from Britain. During the following

years, we bought [ships] from Italy. Now we bought it from the British again. This means that sanctions and statements do not mean that anybody can control it.

[Correspondent] Since the acquisition of the Bladerunner-51, which according to The New York Times, was carried out by cheating America and came from the South African

port of Durban, the Guards Corps has turned this British boat into a nightmare for American ships in the Persian Gulf through alterations and the installation of missile-

launchers. This made US Defence Secretary Robert Gates speak for the first time about the need to change the strategy of using warships.

[Ali Fadavi] You should read the latest statements US Defence Secretary Gates made at an American naval base about 35-36 days ago. This is the first time in American

history that a US secretary of defence questioned the strategies that had been entrenched in US military capabilities for several hundreds of years - in terms of the

capabilities of its Guards Corps naval forces [as heard]. He says we [changing tack], for example, as one of permanent strategies of the American navy, which played its specific role, he is talking about the elimination of aircraft carriers - in terms of the

damage that it can experience in confrontation with the IRGC forces [as heard]. He said since they can experience such damage from the Guards Corps navy, we must

consider altering our way of thinking.

Source: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, in Persian 0420 gmt 11 Aug 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 110810 ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iranian general downplays US war option

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 10 August

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Maj-Gen Hasan Firuzabadi says the United States is keeping the "war option" open to justify its huge military

budget.

Maj-Gen Firuzabadi on Tuesday [10 August] downplayed remarks made by his American counterpart Admiral Mike Mullen last month, claiming he was prepared to give

the green light for an attack on Iran if he was convinced it would keep Tehran from building "bombs."

"If American politicians do not keep the war option on the table, how will they be able to garner the 1,000-billion-dollar budget that Mr Mullen is seeking to spend for military

operations?" the Iranian general asked.

He went on to say that Mullen needed to use such an excuse in order to "justify Congress and the American nation" to fund a massive military budget at a time when

the "financial crisis has broken the backs of Americans."

Maj-Gen Firuzabadi said Iran's Armed Forces are capable of countering any attack, warning that another war, particularly one with Iran, would "completely finish off"

Washington.

"However, the US is not in a position [to launch a fresh war]. It can neither spare heavy expenses nor can it tolerate a war with heroic Iranian Basijis."

The remarks came hours after Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) equipped its naval fleet with 12 Zolfaqar class torpedo-launcher speedboats.

Over the weekend, the Iranian Navy also increased the number of its stealth mini submarines to 11.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1759 gmt 10 Aug 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 110810 ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

IRGC said to have acquired "British-made" speedboat, the fastest in the world

Text of report by state-run Iranian Arabic-language television news channel Al-Alam on 10 August

[News reader] Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps has revealed that it managed to acquire the fastest speedboat in the world from the UK. It also said that it has

succeeded to domestically produce it for military use.

Admiral Ali Fadawi, head of the IRGC Navy branch, said that the speedboat is currently being retrofitted with multiple torpedoes and rockets. It also, the admiral said, could reach speeds of 92 sea knots. The speedboat will be introduced to service on large

scale as of next year.

[News reporter] Notes should be taken with regards to the IRGC's Navy leadership move from Tehran to Bandar Abbas, south of Iran. One would ask why? The answer, however, cannot be separated from what is said to be an US escalation against Iran.

Even if Tehran belittled the threats, it, however, is taking all possibilities into consideration.

[Admiral Ali Fadawi speaking to camera] Our enemies are not our neighbours but those who came from far-away regions. We held talks with the neighbouring countries military

attaches and told them about the plans to move [to Bandar Abbas]. The goal is to secure the region. The message is directed to our enemies.

[News reporter] A new era beckons for the IRGC Naval Forces. Basing the leadership in Bandar Abbas will increase the IRGC presence in an area under its military control. This

could also decrease reaction time of the Iranian response to any attack.

The deterrent factor in this hasty response could be embodied in speedboats. We are here witnessing the induction of a number of military speedboats Type Zulfukar. Those

speedboats are equipped with torpedoes and rocket launchers.

The news here is the IRGC declaration of acquiring the fastest British speedboat in the world with speeds over 140kms/hour. Iran says it has converted it into a military speedboat that is to join the service within one year. Thus, Iran is asserting that

maritime warfare is based on speed.

[Admiral Ali Fadawi] Those speedboats are two and a half times faster of any other types used in the world. This is important in maritime defence. The boats were

distributed on all Persian Gulf areas.

[News reporter] Iran with its armed forces appears to be choosing a good time to send messages to those concerned.

Source: Al-Alam TV, Tehran, in Arabic 1716 gmt 10 Aug 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol rd © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

IRGC said to have acquired "British-made" speedboat, the fastest in the world

Text of report by state-run Iranian Arabic-language television news channel Al-Alam on 10 August

[News reader] Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps has revealed that it managed to acquire the fastest speedboat in the world from the UK. It also said that it has

succeeded to domestically produce it for military use.

Admiral Ali Fadawi, head of the IRGC Navy branch, said that the speedboat is currently being retrofitted with multiple torpedoes and rockets. It also, the admiral said, could

reach speeds of 92 sea knots. The speedboat will be introduced to service on large scale as of next year.

[News reporter] Notes should be taken with regards to the IRGC's Navy leadership move from Tehran to Bandar Abbas, south of Iran. One would ask why? The answer, however, cannot be separated from what is said to be an US escalation against Iran.

Even if Tehran belittled the threats, it, however, is taking all possibilities into consideration.

[Admiral Ali Fadawi speaking to camera] Our enemies are not our neighbours but those who came from far-away regions. We held talks with the neighbouring countries military

attaches and told them about the plans to move [to Bandar Abbas]. The goal is to secure the region. The message is directed to our enemies.

[News reporter] A new era beckons for the IRGC Naval Forces. Basing the leadership in Bandar Abbas will increase the IRGC presence in an area under its military control. This

could also decrease reaction time of the Iranian response to any attack.

The deterrent factor in this hasty response could be embodied in speedboats. We are here witnessing the induction of a number of military speedboats Type Zulfukar. Those

speedboats are equipped with torpedoes and rocket launchers.

The news here is the IRGC declaration of acquiring the fastest British speedboat in the world with speeds over 140kms/hour. Iran says it has converted it into a military speedboat that is to join the service within one year. Thus, Iran is asserting that

maritime warfare is based on speed.

[Admiral Ali Fadawi] Those speedboats are two and a half times faster of any other types used in the world. This is important in maritime defence. The boats were

distributed on all Persian Gulf areas.

[News reporter] Iran with its armed forces appears to be choosing a good time to send messages to those concerned.

Source: Al-Alam TV, Tehran, in Arabic 1716 gmt 10 Aug 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol rd © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Twelve torpedo boats join Guards Corps naval force

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, 10 August: Twelve torpedo boats joined the naval force of the Islamic Republic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in this Persian Gulf

province on Tuesday [10 August].

The high speed boats are capable of highly destructing any targets on the sea and are also equipped with missile launchers.

More torpedo boats are to be delivered to the IRGC's naval force in the near future in three different classes to enhance force's power in fulfilling its marine missions.

The vessels joined the IRGC's naval force during a ceremony held in the presence of force's senior officials.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0925 gmt 10 Aug 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol ms © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iranian commander says Persian Gulf security for all or none

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 1 August, IRNA: Persian Gulf security is for all or for none, said Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for Political Affairs,

Brigadier- General Yadollah Javani, here on Sunday.

"If Americans make the least mistake, security of the region will be put in danger and as has been stressed before, "Persian Gulf security is for all or none," said Javani in an

interview with IRNA here on Sunday [1 August].

Javani said if Americans follow any ambitious plans, its scope will be so wide that will endanger the entire region's security.

He said Persian Gulf is a strategic region and if security of the region is endangered, "our response will be decisive."

The IRGC official then commented on the Zionist regime's threats and said since victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Zionist regime has regarded the Islamic Republic of Iran

as a threat, believing that the threat is growing day by day.

He said in the early years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Zionists acknowledged that a dark future would await them.

Elsewhere in the interview, Javani said the Iranian people are determined to withstand the enemy with all might.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1315 gmt 1 Aug 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sr © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran paper emphasizes importance of military drills

Text of report by Ali Reza'i headlined "Dual importance of Armed Forces' drill" published by Iranian newspaper Javan on 28 July

A week-long drill by air force begins on 31 July. Before this, there were two others drills too which were "Great Prophet-5" by the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] and "Velayat-89" by the navy conducted during the month of Ordibehesht [21 June-22 May]

of this year.

According to the authorities the main objectives and reasons behind the last two drills were to face the threat to the environment, terrorism and piracy, enhancing the fighting capability of the forces, establishment of coordination between the forces and exchange

of experiences as well as practical trainings, testing of new weapons and equipments and use of latest defence acquisitions, boosting of the warrior spirit and preparedness of the Armed Forces to protect national interests. According to the Air Force Commander General Mohammad Alavi, deputy of operations of the Iranian Air Force, the ongoing

third drill is named "Fadayian-e Harim-e Velayat" [Devotees for the Sanctity of Leadership], and the real objectives for conducting it is to make the enemy aware of

Iran's might in performing defence duties.

Armed Forces' drills are being conducted in situations when the enemies are announcing new threats against Iran every day; without doubt this indicates the valour and might of the Islamic Republic system. Surely, beside this issue, given the fact that

heads of some neighbouring countries had attended the two latest drills, the message of these drills for the region is peace and friendship. Hence, Iran's defence plan is that it

responds to threats with resistance and stretches the hand of friendship to demands for justice. And by conducting drills it prevents the military attack by the enemy.

Thus, in the present condition when the US Congress openly considers it the right of the Zionist regime and supports it for applying any tools needed, including military, to face what they call the "nuclear threats" of Iran, the plans and measures for the defence of

the Islamic Republic and perhaps more drills need to be conducted.

Holding of the recent joint manoeuvre by the US and South Korea in the international waters of the Japan Sea, aimed at intimidating North Korea following the sinking of a

South Korean warship, was not only threatening North Korea, but also the US's bullying interference in issues not related to it is a kind of warning to all countries that disobey

the US orders and directives. In this regard, conducting of several drills in the future by the Iranian Armed Forces can be a strong response to the US overt and covert threats.

The importance of manoeuvres by the Iranian Armed Forces as a preventive and defensive measure has been doubled given the confession of the US officials like the former head of the intelligence organization of CIA that sanctions have failed to stop

Iran's nuclear programme.

Source: Javan, Tehran, in Persian 28 Jul 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

US would not dare attack Iran - Revolution Guards commander

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 24 July: The United States would not dare to attack Iran as it is fully aware of Iran's defence power and its nation's determination, Commander of the Islamic

Revolution Guards Corps Mohammad Ali Ja'fari said Saturday [24 July].

Speaking in a local gathering, Ja'fari said that the IRGC's preparedness "is at its highest level".

The commander said that sanctions and restrictions imposed on Iran had no impact on the country and have, so far, led to further self-reliance of the Iranian nation.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0925 gmt 24 Jul 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ms © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran missiles can hit enemy of any size - top Guards Corps official

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 16 July

Iran says its homemade missiles are capable of targeting enemy positions across the Middle East regardless of their number or nature.

"[Iran's] Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is ready to confront arrogance on both national and global levels," Fars News Agency quoted IRGC Deputy Commander

Brigadier General Hoseyn Salami as saying on Friday [16 July].

Taking pride in military prowess of the Guards, the general said IRGC missiles today "are being produced locally and without any limitations and are ready to strike regional

targets with any quantity and quality."

He pointed out the army's naval capacities in fighting "any enemy of any size and strength" and aired off the IRGC's "remarkable achievements" in its domestically-

produced unmanned aircraft and anti-aircraft systems.

"This shows we have made progress whenever we have been besieged," Salami said, stressing that the country's defence capabilities have a national basis and are

independent of foreign sources.

"Today our Basij force includes thousands of combat battalions...if they stand in a single line, no-one can see its end and they are prepared to defend the country's borders," he

said.

"The enemy has engaged in psychological warfare, terrorism, war and economic sanctions and intervention in security systems ... to disrupt security (in Iran) and fuel religious differences," Salami charged, downplaying the destabilization efforts and

saying they were doomed to fail.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1538 gmt 16 Jul 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 170710 ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Programme summary of Al-Arabiya TV news 0400 gmt 16 Jul 10

1. 0000 Headlines:

-The Jundullah Group claims responsibility for the Zahedan blasts, which resulted in the killing of 41 people, including a number of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps,

IRGC, elements.

-Washington is confident that direct Israeli-Palestinian talks will be resumed, while the Arab League and the Palestinian [National] Authority rule out that this will happen.

-BP succeeds in stopping the flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, three months after the beginning of the problem. (37 sec.)

2. 0045 Announcer-read report over video: Some 40 people are killed and more than 50 others are wounded in two blasts in the city of Zahedan, the capital of the Sistan and Baluchistan Province in Iran. The two blasts, which are believed to have been carried

out by two suicide bombers, targeted a mosque where a religious ceremony was being held. The Jundullah Group, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said that the attack targeted the IRGC in revenge for the execution of its leader Abd al-Malik Rigi.

Video shows scenes of the aftermath of the attack and archival clips of Rigi. (2 min. 15 sec.)

3. 0301 Announcer-read report: The US secretary of state condemns the Zahedan suicide bomb attacks and expresses sympathy with the families of victims, saying that

violent acts that took place in Iran, Uganda, Algeria, Iraq, and other world countries require the international community to take action against terrorist organizations, which

threaten the lives of innocent people. (30 sec.)

4. 0333 Announcer-read report over video: The US Middle East envoy begins new consultations with the Israeli and Palestinian sides seeking to begin direct negotiations between Israel and Palestinians. He will meet with the Israeli prime minister today and

the Palestinian president and prime minister tomorrow. While the United States expresses confidence that direct Israeli-Palestinian talks will be resumed, the Fatah

Movement emphasizes that the Palestinian leadership will not participate in these talks before achieving progress in the indirect talks over the security and border issues. The

Arab League secretary general rules out that direct talks between the Israeli and Palestinian sides will be resumed, saying that such talks cannot start under the current Israel settlement policies. Video shows archival clips of the US envoy's previous tours and the Arab League secretary general making a statement. It also shows the Fatah

spokesman making a statement. (2 min.)

5. 0547 Announcer-read report: In a telephone conversation with the Yemeni president, the US president praises Yemen's efforts to combat Al-Qa'idah's danger in the Arab

Gulf area. (25 sec.)

6. 0611 Announcer-read report: The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council allows the Iraqi president to continue to assume his responsibilities, admitting that a constitutional

violation has taken place due to Parliament's failure to hold a session to this effect. (40 sec.)

7. 0648 Announcer-read report over video: The US forces hand over the Cropper Prison, located near the Baghdad International Airport, to Iraqi authorities in an official

ceremony attended by US and Iraqi officials. The prison is the last US-run prison in Iraq. Video shows scenes of the ceremony. (50 sec.)

8. 0734 Announcer-read report over video: The Iraqi border forces begin implementing military and organizational measures to maintain security control at the border with Iran. A joint Iraqi-Iranian committee begins demarking the border in order to restore it to its 2003 status. Video shows scenes of Iraqi border forces in action and its commander

making a statement. (2 min. 30 sec.)

9. 1005 Headline:

-A 10-year prison sentence is issued against the lawyer of an Egyptian Muslim preacher involved in plotting attacks at several sites in New York.

10. 1025 Commercial break.

11. 1157 Repeat of headlines.

12. 1236 Announcer-read report over video: A US court issues a 10-year prison sentence against the lawyer of the Egyptian Muslim preacher, who is accused of

plotting attacks against several places in New York in 1993. The lawyer is charged with helping the preacher to convey his messages from his prison in the United States to his followers in Egypt. Video shows scenes of the court building and several supporters of

the lawyer making statements. (3 min.)

13. 1543 Announcer-read report over video: BP says it succeeded in stopping the flow of oil from a damaged oil well in the Gulf of Mexico after three months of hard work to

achieve this end. Video shows scenes of the operation and the US President making a statement. (2 min.)

14. 1732 Announcer-read report over video: In the wake of the International Criminal Court's decision to add the charge of genocide to the list of charges against the

Sudanese president, the Sudanese authorities expel two foreign employees working for the International Organization for Migration in Darfur, and ask them to leave Sudan

within 72 hours. Video shows scenes of a refugee camp. (30 sec.)

15. 1806 Announcer-read report over video: A senior British Foreign Ministry official says the transfer of military assignments to the Afghan forces has been postponed until the spring of 2011 following consultations among NATO members. Video shows scenes

of military activities in Afghanistan. (30 sec.)

16. 1837 Headline:

-The Moroccan traditional dress dominates over modern dress.

17. 1853 Commercial break.

18. 2027 Announcer-read report over video: A French citizen of Algerian origin finances a fund to pay the fines of those who violate the law banning the wearing of veils in

public places in France. Video shows the French citizen making a statement. (3 min.)

19. 2329 Announcer-read report over video: The French justice authorities order the investigation of four persons close to a French businesswoman who is accused of tax evasion and money laundering. Video shows scenes of the French president making a

statement during a recent interview with a French TV channel. (40 sec.)

20. 2412 Announcer-read report over video: The Moroccan female traditional dress is still admired in comparison with modern dress. Video shows scenes of a fashion show.

(2 min.)

21. 2605 Repeat of headlines.

Source: Al-Arabiya TV, Dubai, in Arabic 0400 gmt 16 Jul 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol dh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

BBC Monitoring quotes from Iranian press 15 Jul 10

The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and commentaries published in 15 July 2010 editions of Iranian newspapers available to BBC Monitoring at 0530 gmt

McChrystal

Arman [reformist]: "The dismissal of General McChrystal from his position in Afghanistan is a sign of increasing tension between the politicians and the militarists in

America over Afghanistan's affairs, which shows the eclipse of militarism in Afghanistan." (Editorial headlined "McChrystal; eclipse of militarism in Afghanistan")

USA-Iraq

Jom huri-ye Eslami [hard-liner]: "America's increasing interference in Iraq's domestic affairs regarding the establishment of the new government has complicated the political atmosphere of the country and created an unstable situation. Christopher Hill, the US ambassador to Iraq, has announced the imminent visit of Joe Biden to Iraq while only 10 days have passed from his latest visit to Baghdad... The establishment of the new government in Iraq has reached a deadlock for the last five months in such a way that even long talks and negotiations of involved bodies have brought no results as of yet."

(Editorial headlined "Political analysis of the week")

Russia-Iran

Qods [hard-liner]: "Dmitry Medvedev in his recent remarks at the White House has announced that Russia is worried about Iran's nuclear activities which is about to reach

the stage of producing atomic weapons... Russians should be aware of the fact that tensions in Iran-Russia relations cannot be beneficial for the Russia's national interests.

Improving relations with the West cannot be a good alternative for Iran-Russia ties because the West has undeniably been seeking Russia's collapse." (Editorial headlined

Medvedev; from Kremlin to the White House")

India-Pakistan

Siy asat-e Ruz [conservative]: "India and Pakistan are trying to play the role of regional and supra-regional players. This will be possible when... stability is established in the

region as the two sides have taken measures to end challenges... incipient negotiations between the two countries can be taken as a turning point in their relations and in

regional developments... even if rooted differences and foreign interference can raise challenges here as well." (Commentary by Ali Totmaj headlined "Search for peace")

Islamic Republic Guards Corps

Keyhan [hard-liner]: "Certainly, one of the most important element of the formation and survival of Islamic Republic Guards Corps [IRGC] is its popular base. The IRGC is an indefatigable and creative body that has entered all arenas to defend the principles of the Islamic Revolution and the ideals of the late Imam [Khomeyni] and the supreme

leader on the basis of its Islamic beliefs while it has always kept its avant-garde nature... the key role of the IRGC in and after the eight-year war is undeniable, and after the

Sacred Defence [Iran-Iraq war] it could adapt itself to the new conditions and strongly came into the arena of constructing the country, particularly in deprived regions."

(Editorial headlined "Master of Guards")

Jaam-e-Jam [conservative]: "The Islamic Republic Guard Corps is the offspring of the Islamic Revolution and it was formed in an atmosphere in which our beloved country

was facing huge numbers of plots and a crisis made by foreigners, and at the time when the Islamic Republic was threatened by foreign powers and their domestic agents soon

after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Our system needed to be guarded those days. The existing philosophy of the IRGC is to guard the Islamic Revolution and its achievements... and in fact the IRGC has to guard Islam, the Koran and the Islamic

Iran... Our defeated enemies have come to the conclusion that they have to weaken the IRGC if they want to weaken the Islamic Republic. That is why the UN Resolution 1929 has focused on the IRGC." (Editorial by the head of IRGC Political Bureau headlined

"IRGC; the competent offspring of Islamic Revolution")

Javan [conservative]: "Accusing the IRGC of expanding tyranny in the system, adding the names of some commanders and organizations of the corps in the list of anti-Iranian international sanctions and resolutions, and attacks against the corps by domestic anti-revolutionary as well as seditious elements are examples of disabling and coordinated activities... Today, to fight the soft and semi-hard threats the IRGC has no choice but to provide tools. Therefore, along with its military wing, the IRGC should form a cyber army to resist the hard threats. Today, the Guards Corps has changed its system, means and methods in accordance with the changes of circumstances considering the essence of

threats and is serious in resisting any kind of threats..." (Commentary by Rasul Sana'irad headlined "Oppressed and proud like the late Imam Husayn [third Shi'i

imam]")

Resalat [conservative]: "Currently, the previous mission to fight the enemy's comprehensive soft warfare has acquired a twist... Of course, the enemies' hard and

soft attacks against the Guards Corps have been strengthened since the victory of the

Revolution. However, the point of difference in the recent attacks is the awareness of the enemies' about the effective role of the corps in defending the main principles of the Revolution, an example of which was seen by the world last year [reference to the 12

June 2009 post-poll unrests]. The IRGC proved that it does not make compromises with regard to defending the line of leadership and the Revolution." (Commentary by Saleh

Eskandari headlined "Safeguarding the Revolution and defending the line of the leadership")

Cooperation between the Majlis and the government

Mardom Salari [moderate]: "In the current situation, it can easily be seen that the cooperation between the Majlis and the government means the government implements

those Majlis legislations that it likes and disregards those that it dislikes. It means that the government does not send its list of ratifications to the Majlis, or even does not listen

to the warnings of MPs who are moving towards the impeachment of ministers... How can the Majlis cooperate with the government in this situation? Should it disregard all of these issues or fully support the government? Or should it fairly criticize the government

in order to make the government bend the laws?" (Editorial headlined "Cooperation between the Majlis and the government.")

Sources: As listed

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol nks © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran's commander says Guards Corps ready to fight

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 14 July

14 July: The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has brushed aside threats against Iran, saying the IRGC is completely ready to fight against

arrogance.

"We are witnessing the collapse of the West empire. Signs of this downfall can be clearly seen," IRNA quoted Brigadier General Hoseyn Salami as saying on Tuesday [13

July].

Salami further added that guidelines of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamene'i on fight against arrogance have raised optimism towards the

outcomes of the move.

"No clear evidence of victory can be seen in the three-decade history of the Soviet Union and the US. We feel that arrogant powers are gradually melting like an ice

mountain," he said.

The remarks came following allegations by Israel and its staunch ally, the United States, about Tehran's plans to build a nuclear weapon. They claimed that the use of military

force is a legitimate option in retarding Iran's nuclear progress.

Tehran, however, asserts that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it should exercise the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes including electricity

generation.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 0737 gmt 14 Jul 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 140710 ra/oj © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Guards Corps able to resist sanctions, "enemies' plots" - Iran analyst

Text of commentary by Abbas Haji-Najjari headlined "Guard Corps; Revolution's eternal arm" published by Iranian Javan newspaper on 14 July

In the first days after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, when the need of formation of a force to "safeguard the Islamic Revolution and its achievements" [punctuation as published here and throughout] was felt, few people believed that the order of his

eminence late Imam Khomeyni, which was issued on 2 Ordibehesht 1358 [22 April 1979], would create the ground for establishing a organization, which would become a

source of important developments in various security, military, social, economic, scientific and other fields.

In terms of its duties as a military organization, after 31 years of its formation, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] along with other military and police forces has provided the system with a potential like it did in the beginning of its activities so that the enemies of the Islamic system cannot even bear to think of a military action against the Islamic republic. Meanwhile, the potential and the abilities of this sacred organization in

other fields cannot be ignored either. If the enemies of the Islamic Revolution were forced to consider the IRGC's potential in their calculations while planning security

related conspiracies and local unrests in the first days after the victory of the Revolution, today also they are forced to consider its significant role while making the extra-

complicated plans for cultural and political plots, cyber wars, economic sanctions and other.

In fact, who could think that in the field of one of the most complicated soft warfare of the colonialist system against an independent country, the IRGC with the support of Basij [paramilitary force] would be able to play the main role in foiling it [soft warfare]

and in making the enemy frustrated before the activities of this sacred organization, to such extent that during the last year this organization became the main target of the

propaganda and media attacks of the colonial system.

A look at the UN Security Council's latest resolution on anti-Iran sanctions and even on the US Congress's decision to impose [fuel] sanctions on Iran highlights another aspect of the IRGC's potential in foiling the enemies' economic sanctions, to the extent that the ban the IRGC authorities from going on visits and sanctioning the companies affiliated

to it are considered the key priority in the enemy's resolutions on sanctions.

However, the main point in this regard is the roots and bases of this potential. Acting as the soldier of the leadership, both during the late Imam's [Khomeyni - founder of Islamic Republic of Iran] term and the term of the [present] supreme leader [Ali Khamene'i], the IRGC has been trying to execute the order of its supreme leader as an Islamic duty in all the fields. Thus, devotion has been the main feature and characteristic of the Guard

Corps and Basiji members, which has always been a factor for the IRGC to play the main role in carrying out this mission. Other people are unable to comprehend this

characteristic through materialistic approach. The faith and the belief of the IRGC and Basij forces, as well as their devotion and adherence to the leadership, simplicity and

justice-seeking, political discernment and foresight, courage and selflessness and other qualities are the part of the divine and humane values, which along with academic

teachings have provided them [Basij and Corps' members] with the required ability so that they can keep the face of the Revolution constantly clean from dust during the post-

Revolution period and to epitomize the Imam's beautiful phrase that "if there were no IRGC, there were no country".

Recently, on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution's victory and on the threshold of the 3 Sha'ban [July 15] - Imam Husayn's [third Shi' Imam] birth anniversary - which has been nominated by the late Imam as "IRGC Day", members of the Guard Corps and Basij are able to be successful in carrying out the honourable mission of

"safeguarding the revolution and its values" not only in the military and security fields, but also in resisting the enemies' soft warfare, cultural threats, cyber war, economic

sanctions and other, like they did in the beginning of the Revolution.

Source: Javan, Tehran, in Persian, 14 Jul 10, p 2

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ta © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran commander says enemy disappointed with policy of "military threat

Excerpt from report by Iranian official government news agency IRNA

Bojnurd, 7 July: Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] General Mohammad Ali Ja'fari has said: The enemy has concentrated all its energy on changing

and diverting the Islamic Revolution's route.

According to the public relations of Javad ol-A'emeh Corps of North Khorasan Province, General Ja'fari during the ceremonies for the inauguration of a new command site of the IRGC in Borujerd on Wednesday [7 July] said: Under the present conditions, protecting

the state and its achievements is the main and most determining duty of all of us.

He said that safeguarding the Islamic state and the true Mohammadan Islam is a divine assignment. He added: The IRGC's raison d'etre is to defend the Islamic Revolution;

and the IRGC and the Basij play a determining role in this respect.

General Ja'fari said: The enemy which has gained nothing by its military threats has now become disappointed of this policy. The enemy has come to the conclusion that it cannot reach its objectives by threatening the sacred Islamic state as the Iranian nation

becomes more united after every military threat against the state.

He said that the nature of the Islamic Republic state is to fight against the arrogant, improve the spirit of self-belief and self-reliance, fight against deprivation, help the

downtrodden and promote justice.

The commander of the IRGC said that among the main specification of the force is that it relies on people to serve the people. He said: Keeping heart-felt contact with people

and officials - and the supreme leader at the top - is among the main duties of the IRGC which can only be achieved in the light of sincere service to the people.

[Passage omitted: On introductory remarks by the commander of North Khorasan IRGC]

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency, Tehran, in Persian 1929 gmt 7 Jul 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ra © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Commander says USA, UK cannot oppose Iran's army in the Persian Gulf

Text of short report by political group headlined "Our reaction to inspection of Iranian ships will be special" published by Iranian newspaper Iran on 27 Jun

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] Navy commander [Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi] warned: "Guard navy's reaction to the inspection of Iranian ships will be very

special".

Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said in this regard: "The IRGC Navy has the might of showing special and adequate answer to actions against Iranian ships".

Admiral Ali Fadavi mentioned: "The Americans and their shaky allies would not dare to look maliciously at our ships anywhere in the world waters. The Persian Gulf is the centre and most sensitive point of the world. Americans are not alive without the

Persian Gulf and at any time we are able to exert as much pressure at this strait as we may wish to".

Speaking about the IRGC Navy's programmes and policies, Admiral Fadavi said: "The navy follows its missions relying on four pillars that are floating vessels, land to sea

missiles, air to sea missiles, and its marine and commando forces".

Cultural and Defensive Propaganda Deputy of General-Staff Major-general Mas'ud Jazayeri mentioned: "[Using] sanctions [as a] weapon is ineffective against Iranian

nation because the state and nation have found their path".

General Jayeri added: "Opposition of Major American companies against additional sanctions for the Islamic Republic of Iran and refusal of some other powers from accompanying [America] in the UN Security Council has defined the outcome of

American and British efforts".

Source: Iran, Tehran, in Persian 27 Jun 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sr © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran commander emphasizes IRGC ground forces readiness

Text of report headlined "General Araq: Infantry of IRGC is an agile and professional force" published by Iranian newspaper Jomhuri-ye Eslami on 9 Jun

General Abdollah Araqi, the deputy commander of the ground force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps [IRGC] visited independent division of Ramazan and referring

to the significance of comprehensive plans by the ground force of IRGC has said: According to the new plan, infantry of IRGC has been introduced as a agile and

professional force, which should be ready to respond to hard and semi-hard armed threats.

According to the report of IRCG public relations department, the deputy commander of the ground force of IRGC and his delegation visited the division of Ramazan located on

the 30th kilometer of Tehran -Qom highway on the occasion of the 21st death anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeyni [the founder of the Islamic Republic].

During his visit, Commander Araqi inspected various parts of the division and explicated the related officials and soldiers the measure of their military readiness. Deputy

commander of the ground force of IRGC, who was surrounded by the members of

division in a prayer room, referred to the changes of infantry forces' structure, and stressed on readiness of employees in various spiritual, military and physical spheres.

Araqi has said: According to the new description, the IRGC ground forces should be professional forces. Due to this purpose, all the layers should be mobilized and stand for support for forces in pecking order. Commander Araqi stressed on strengthening

spiritual views, politic discernment, identifying Imam [Khomeyni] and the enemies. He said: We need to be pious, however it is not enough and in line with this, we should take

professional trainings for physical readiness because we can do nothing with weak body.

Referring to the role of Ramazan mechanized [probably with armoured vehicles]division during the Sacred Defence war [Iran -Iraq eight-year war, 1980-1988], the deputy commander of the ground force of IRGC said: We expect, that even under current

conditions the readiness of this division will reach to our desired level and will be ready for defence under any conditions.

On the other part of his speech, Araqi evaluated the activities of Imam Husayn battalions and added: these battalions must be prepared to the level, so that they are able to be able to gain victory over the enemy with fewer victims by rapid and strong reaction. He added: In the future, the IRGC ground forces will perform proficient, vigil

and reasonable activities and we need to take permanent trainings and exercises.

Araqi Recommended to exert more efforts in training the forces and added: From the view physical training, strength and proficiency, the commanders should be ahead of

the others and be a symbol for them.

Commander Araqi has also referred to the specification of future wars, which will be short and based on the enemies intelligence services and accompanied by extensive air

attacks, and he added: "During the future wars, the mechanized units of the ground forces of the IRGC should be ready to change their tactics rapidly and our armoured

units will be definitely able to have a good hand in future combats".

Source: Jomhuri-ye Eslami website, Tehran, in Persian 09 Jun 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sr © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Naval base commander warns Israelis about getting close to Iranian costs

Text of unattributed report headlined "Commander of naval base-1 of army rejecting new psychological war of west: Zionists are such cowards that they will not dare to get

close to Iranian coasts" published by Iranian newspaper Iran on 31 May

Reacting to the Zionists' claim of dispatch of three nuclear submarines to the coasts of the Persian Gulf, the commander of Naval Base-1 of the Armed Forces, stated: "The slightest action against the security of the country, by anyone and in any way, will be

followed by a firm and categorical response from Iran."

In an interview with IRNA, Admiral Fariborz Qaderpanah, described the claim of the presence of three submarines of the Zionist regime near the Iranian coasts in the

Persian Gulf as a "psychological war" launched by that regime. He emphasized that the naval force of the Armed Forces is watching the region carefully and will certainly notice

the submarines if they exist at all. He added: "It seems that spreading such claims is within the framework of a psychological war to evaluate the reaction by Iran."

The commander, emphasizing that the Iranian Navy has a constant and strong presence in the waters of the Persian Gulf and especially the area of Iranian waters and that is constantly patrolling the region, described the presence of the Iranian Navy in the

Persian Gulf as serious and powerful. He added: "If they want to approach Iranian waters, they will certainly endanger themselves because the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy is watching the region carefully." He emphasized: "Both the Navy of the Armed Forces and that of the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] are present on the

coasts of the Persian Gulf."

Admiral Qaderpanah, emphasized that, according to the international law, all countries should observe the maritime rights of other countries. He said: "Of course, we know that Zionists are too cowardly to get close to the Iranian coasts." He added: "If the Zionists' submarines are frequenting international waters, Iran will have nothing to do with them. However, if they want to get close to Iran's waters, then they will be treated severely."

Qaderpanah added: "We know their restrictions and they are also aware of the capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran." The senior military official said: "No

movement will be hidden from the eyes of the Armed Forces and the IRGC naval force. Whoever wants to threaten the security of the country somehow, will receive the

categorical response of the Islamic Republic of Iran." He emphasized: "With the help of Iranian experts and the youth, the Armed Forces are equipped with armaments that the enemy cannot even imagine. Thus, we can suppress any movement at its embryonic

stage."

Source: Iran, Tehran in Persian 31 May 2010, p 2

BBC Mon ME1 MEDel sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran sets up second biggest cyber army in world

The commander of the IRGC's Ali Ebn-e Abitaleb corps in Qom has said: The IRGC has been successful in setting up the second biggest cyber army in the world.

According to a report by Fars News Agency, Ebrahim Jabbari, has referred to "the efforts by the enemy to inflict a blow on the Islamic state through various means" and

said: "One of the means to this end is cyber space activities, and the IRGC cyber army has powerfully entered this arena to prevent any damage to the cultural-social

infrastructure of the country."

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 1115 gmt 20 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ks © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran ends naval war game with military parade

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Jask, Hormozgan Province, 12 May: The grand war games launched in Iran's territorial waters ended Wednesday [12 May] with a strong show of power by the Iranian navy

units.

In the last day of the war games, which were going on in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean for the past eight days, Iranian warships and hovercraft as well as heavy and light submarines displayed the combat power of the Iranian Army.

The Iranian Air Force warplanes and helicopters, too, accompanied the warships in their parade.

The war games which were undertaken in an area of about 140 thousand square kilometres were staged in nine distinctive phases with the objective of displaying Iran's

defensive and deterrent naval power in the country's southern waters.

Parts of the drills featured special operations of marine forces as well as surveillance flights of Army's remote-controlled aircraft.

The Army's Navy, too, launched electronic and anti-electronic warfare using distracters and alarm signallers in this phase.

The forces also managed to disrupt the hypothetical enemy's connection lines and keep the lines open for themselves.

The naval exercise kicked off last Wednesday just after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) completed major war games in the Persians Gulf, Sea of Oman and also

in the key oil route of the Strait of Hormoz.

During the operations, the Iranian navy forces test-fired surface-to-surface and subsurface missiles to target the hypothetical enemies.

The naval forces conducted full-scale operations based on a well-organized and strategic plan to demonstrate the country's capabilities in dealing with any threats.

Also, the Iranian forces practiced how to counter subsurface missiles by firing new Iranian-made weapons.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1040 gmt 12 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sp © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Corr: Programme summary of Iranian army news 1031 gmt 12 May 10

(Correcting the date from 13 May to 12 May. A corrected version of the item follows:)

A. 1031 Feature report on the role of the IRGC in helping the development of the country. TV shows mobile hospitals set by IRGC in military exercise sites. Some archive

scenes of military exercise were also shown.

B. 1039 Report on ceremonies for the introduction of the new IRGC Navy commander at the presence of the IRGC commander-in-chief.

C. 1043 Head of the Basij mobilized forces said that the Basij was ready to serve the nation. The reporter commented on the statements of General Naqdi on the presence of

basijis in former Iran-Iraq war battlefronts and at other pilgrimage sites.

D. 1045 TV quotes Iran supreme leader's statements on the importance of safeguarding Iran borders.

End programme 1046 gmt.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1031 gmt 12 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ra

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010Enemy demoralized by Iran war games - Guards Corps chief

Text of report in English by Iranian conservative news agency Mehr

Tehran, 9 May: Large-scale war games conducted by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz in late April have actually

disheartened the enemies, IRGC Commander Mohammad Ali Ja'fari stated on Saturday [8 May].

The IRGC commander made the comments in a ceremony held to introduce the new commander of the IRGC naval force, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi.

The Sepah (IRGC) naval force is an indomitable force prepared to conduct various military manoeuvres, Ja'fari said, adding that the recently-conducted military drill was a notable achievement by the IRGC record that has dampened the spirits of the enemies.

The commander also highlighted the importance of training and education in Sepah and thanked Rear Admiral Morteza Saffari, the former IRGC Navy commander, for his

invaluable insights.

During the war games, the IRGC successfully tested its radar-evading, high-speed Ya Mahdi vessel as well as a new speed boat capable of destroying enemy ships.

Moreover, a hypothetical enemy war ship, which had entered Iran's territorial waters, was targeted, seized and destroyed.

During the last phase of the manoeuvres four types of naval missiles were test-fired and two sea-to-sea and three coast-to-sea missiles hit a common target simultaneously.

A total of 313 speedboats with the capability of firing rockets and missiles were involved in the war games.

Source: Mehr news agency, Tehran, in English 1615 gmt 9 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

New missiles test-fired in Iran's military manoeuvre

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Jask, Hormuzgan Province, 9 May: On the fifth day of the 'Velayat 89' war games on Sunday [9 May] in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean

Iranian navy forces test-fired surface-to-surface and under surface missiles to target hypothetical enemies.

Speaking to IRNA, Rear Admiral Qasem Rostamabadi said that at this stage the Iranian naval forces conducted full-scale operations based on a well-organized and strategic

plan to demonstrate the country's capabilities in dealing with any threats.

During the operations, the Iranian forces practiced how to counter under surface missiles by firing new Iranian-made bullet, he said.

The drills also featured special operations by marines as well as surveillance flights of Army's remote-controlled aircraft.

The Army's Navy also launched electronic and anti-electronic warfares using distracters and alarm signallers.

Iranian made warship Jamaran is to join the operation by firing several torpedoes at the positions of hypothetical enemies, he said.

The third phase of Velayat 89 war game is to be concluded on Sunday and its forth phase will be kicked off on Monday, he said.

After the war games, Jamaran warship is to sail for northern Indian Ocean to carry out new missions, he said.

During the five-stage military exercise which is to last eight days, the Iranian Army is to display its defensive and deterrent power in the country's southern territorial waters.

The naval exercise kicked off last Wednesday just after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) completed major war games in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and also

in the key oil route of the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1235 gmt 9 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ksSecond phase of Iran's Velayat-89 military exercise ends

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Jask, Hormozgan Province: 7 May: The second phase of 'Velayat-89' war game ended in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean covering an area of

250,000 square kilometres.

The Friday [7 May] drills featured exchange of equipment and food supplies by the frigates moving around in the general operation zone.

Based on the incoming reports, the Islamic Republic Army's Navy successfully launched electronic and anti-electronic warfares, using distracters and alarm signallers,

information collectors operating through radar systems, and the audio and non-audio instruments in the Oman Sea onshore and offshore areas.

The forces also managed to disrupt the hypothetical enemy's connection lines and keep the lines open for themselves, observe the law to check the bypassing ships using their

combat frigates and destroyers, launch patrolling and reconnaissance operations by their unmanned and far flying drones, conduct chemical, microbiological, and nuclear

defence operations.

Iranian Navy started the second stage of `Velayat-89' war games in the country's southern waters on Thursday.

Iranian Navy's five-stage war games, running for eight days, will display its defensive and deterrent naval power in the Islamic Republic's southern waters.

The war games use combat, support, logistic, radar and electronic units as well as surface-to-surface, under water and air missiles using the fighter aircraft of the air force.

The newly deployed warship `Jamaran' is also reportedly used in the naval exercise. The sea vessel has a displacement of around 1,400 tons and is equipped with modern

radars and electronic warfare, as per the media report.

The naval exercise kicked off just after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) completed major war games in the [Persian] Gulf, Sea of Oman and also in the key oil

route of Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1300 gmt 7 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ms © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran Army commander explains second stage of Velayat-89 exercise in Sea of Oman

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Jask, Hormozgan Province, 6 May: Iranian air and naval forces put the waters of Sea of Oman and east of Hormuz Strait under their own control during the second stage of the ongoing Navy's military

exercise on Thursday.

Rear-Admiral Qasem Rostamabadi, spokesman of "Velayat 89" war games made the remarks on the sidelines of the military exercise currently held in the country's southern waters.

He told IRNA that the chemical invasion of the hypothetical enemy was successfully countered with the use of domestically-made warfare during this stage of the military exercise.

The Air Force will conduct a combined operation in the public region of the manoeuvre later today.

The eight-day military exercise is currently conducted in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the northern part of the Indian Ocean covering an area of 250,000 square kilometres (around 97,000 square miles).

The five-stage war games will display the combat readiness of the armed forces in the Islamic Republic's southern waters.

The combat, support, logistic, radar and electronic units as well as surface-to-surface, under water and air missiles will be used in the war games with the support of Air Force fighter planes.

According to reports, the newly deployed and domestically-made warship "Jamaran" is also taking part in the naval exercise.

The vessel has a displacement of around 1,400 tons and is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare.

Late last month the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) held war games in the Persian Gulf and the key oil route of Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0850 gmt 6 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ms © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Top

Iran's home-grown Jamaran destroyer to participate in naval exercise

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Jask, Hormozgan Province, 6 May: The second stage of the Navy's military exercise dubbed "Velayat-89" started in the country's southern waters on Thursday [6 May].

In this stage of the war game the Iranian air force will conduct a combined operation in the public region of the manoeuvre.

The eight-day military exercise is currently conducted in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the northern part of the Indian Ocean covering an area of 250,000 square

kilometres (around 97,000 square miles).

The five-stage war games will display the combat readiness of the armed forces in the Islamic Republic's southern waters.

The combat, support, logistic, radar and electronic units as well as surface-to-surface, under water and air missiles will be used in the war games with the support of Air Force

fighter planes.

According to reports, the newly deployed and domestically-made warship "Jamaran" is also taking part in the naval exercise.

The vessel has a displacement of around 1,400 tons and is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare.

Late last month the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) held war games in the Persian Gulf and the key oil route of Strait of Hormoz.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0735 gmt 6 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sp © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran TV programme praises "integrated air defence network"

Excerpt from report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 5 May

[Narrator] There have always been mischievous powers in history that have caused nuisance, due to their evil nature, for other independent nations.

The nations have two options when facing those powers, one is to give in and be humiliated and the other one is to be steadfast and rely on the power given to them by

God. Today, the will of nations to defend their dignity and honour is manifested in their armed forces. The armed forces have the duty of protecting the country from any harm,

defending the borders of the country and providing security to the nation. The preparedness of the armed forces of a country plays a key role in protecting the honour

and dignity of its nation. [Passage omitted, says Iranian armed forces cooperate to defend the borders of the country]

[Retired air marshal Khosrow Khatib-Qavami] In the navy and ground forces, the boundaries of operations are very clear. For instance they say that from one point to

another are covered by a certain battalion or unit. Similar divisions can be made in the sea too. However, when it comes to the airspace, identifying a specific and clear-cut boundary is not possible. Therefore, it is necessary to have an integrated network to defend the airspace of the country and to prevent any flying object from entering the

country.

An integrated network has a specific definition. It means that all of the radars in the country, all of the ground-based military units and all of the air-based defence

equipment should be organized and coordinated in the shape of one network to carry out one mission, which is defending the airspace of the country.

An integrated network means that as soon as a flying object tries to enter the country all control centres across the country would register the presence of the object and record

and save the necessary information. If the plane or the flying object has previous permission then it can easily fly through the agreed route. However, if the object is the

hostile enemy, then tactical measures will be taken against it by different air-based units such as fighter jets or ground-based units such as surface-to-air missiles and weapons

as well as shoulder-mounted missiles or short-, long- and medium-ranged missiles.

[Narrator] In wars today, air forces of countries lead any aggression [against another] and air defence [in target countries] is the first line of defence against any aggression.

The [integrated] air defence is responsible for defending residential units, infrastructure, economic zones and military units.

[Colonel Mohamad Hoseyn Hatami - title not given] The integrated defence network means that all radar systems, all missile systems and all surface-to-air systems should

be controlled by one independent command centre.

[Colonel Alireza Elhami - title not given] After discovering a possible threat, radars can guide fighter-jets and track [objects] in order to protect the country. Furthermore, the

radars can provide the necessary information, through the integrated air defence network, to other defence units. At this stage, fire-control radars play a key role to fight

any threat from the air.

[Narrator] The Holly Defence [1980-1988] is full of many epic stories of air defence units protecting cities, refineries and oil pipelines while giving support to other armed forces,

particularly in military operations.

[Second Brig-Gen Hojjatollah Kasiri - title not given] Today surface forces [navy and ground force] cannot withstand air attacks because of the fast-paced advancement of

air technology and because modern jets are equipped with various high-precision weapons.

Therefore, surface forces will need the support of the air defence network. We [at the air defence network] consider supporting other forces and units in our missions. We

strongly support our ground and naval forces.

[Second Brig-Gen Nader Rahimzadeh - title not given] As for cooperation [between forces], I should say that the air defence network, using its defence units, makes the

airspace of the Islamic Republic secure and by doing so, it prepares the ground for the operation of other armed forces' units, which are reassured that they would face no threat from the air. [Passage omitted, repeats the same sentence praising the air

defence network]

[Narrator] Planning, in order to support the units involved in various operations, is another duty of the air defence network. This duty shows the role played by the network

in the success of military operations.

Valfajr-8 operation was an historical example of the performance of the air defence network in modern wars, in which more than 80 Iraqi jets were hit and destroyed.

Planning as well as protecting the airspace of the country, in every military, economic and civilian field require all defence units to be organized and to increase their combat

power. Such an organization, in the past few years, has been formed under the name of Khatamol Anbia Air Defence Base.

[Second Brig-Gen Ali Moqeyseh] The raison d'etre of Khatamol Anbia Air Defence Base, affiliated to the Islamic Republic's military, is to use every defence capability of

the armed forces.

All of the forces that have a defence system across the country are covered by the security controls of the air defence network. The base also devises missions based on the capabilities of the defence units of the armed forces, including the military and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps [IRGC]. The main elements of defence are decided at the base. The air defence network is indeed a coordination centre between air defence

units of the armed forces and manages all military and IRGC defence operations.

[Khosrow Khatib-Qavami] Another duty of the network is to coordinate between the air defence units of the armed forces. While controlling the operations of these units, the

network makes use of the capabilities of these units to achieve its objectives, which is to provide air security across the country for various political and economic centres,

military bases and vital strategic industrial units. The Khatamol Anbia base, by planning and issuing orders, protects these centres. It uses the combat power of defence units in

a coordinated manner.

[Narrator] Deploying and expanding defence units, improving the combat power of the integrated air defence network and establishing a new military-defensive structure in the

armed forces, are among the achievements of these coordinated operations, which have brought calm in the Islamic Iran's airspace.

[Video interest: video shows missiles and jets and radar systems being operated by the integrated air defence unit]

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1024 gmt 5 May 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sp © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

War game message, Iran "no threat" to regional countries - commander

Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 4 May

[Presenter] The great Velayat war game is to be staged on the forever Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The Velayat war game will be staged tomorrow [5 May] in the

presence of the forces from Navy, Air and the Islamic Republic's Army Aviation Corps on the waters of the Oman Sea and the Indian Ocean.

[Reporter] Following the successful staging of the Prophet war game by the IRGC's Navy force, the [Islamic Republic] Army's Navy will display its power in defending the

land and territorial waters of the country and in providing the security of the ships' traffic by [staging] the great Velayat war game on the azure waters of the Persian Gulf, Sea of

Oman, Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Eden.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] The Velayat war game will be launched on a zone extending over 250,000 square kilometres [starting from] the strategic Hormoz Strait, on the southeast shores of the Islamic Republic, the free waters of the north of the Indian Ocean and the

Sea of Oman to demonstrate the power of the holy Islamic Republic of Iran and [its capacity] to control the traffic of all the ships within the war game's zone; [it will also show Iran's] intelligence dominance over the Sea of Oman and the north of Indian

Ocean. [We also want] to exercise logistical support for the frontline operation in the Gulf of Eden. In this war game, a part of the forces will operate [He refers to a map] in

the blue section and in the orange section [on a map] as our own forces and the enemy's forces. By using appropriate tactics, these forces will try to intercept, detect

and destroy each other and their activities will be assessed. In this war game, units from the ground, navy, and air forces as well as [forces from the] air-defence base of Islamic

Republic Army based in Makran [Sea of Oman] shores - or southeast shores - will

participate. Surface and sub-surface units of the Navy force will spread in the region and will continue their war game mission.

[Reporter] Rear-Adm Sayyari said the message of this war game to friends is peace and security and to the enemy is Iran's ultimate power in defending the borders of the

Islamic Republic.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] Like the messages of all [other past] war games we have staged in the region, the message [of this war game] is a message of peace and friendship for the regional countries. Secondly, we want to let all the neighbouring and regional countries know that we are no threat to any country in the region. Neither are they any threat to

us. We will use our [military] capacity for synergy [with other countries]; it is meant to be used positively in the region. Our message is that the armed forces of the Islamic

Republic are very serious in confronting any type of threat and they will confront any threat firmly.

[Presenter] The commander of Iran Army's Navy Force said that by using new ways in proportion with the threats, the Army's Navy force will demonstrate that it is capable to

be very serious and advanced on free waters.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] A main characteristic of the war game as we have defined is to show how serious the Islamic Republic can be in defending the country's interests in

free waters territory.

[Reporter] Rear-Adm Sayyari said various types of torpedoes and missiles will be launched and surface, sub-surface, air and ground tactics will be used in this war game. He said the Velayat war game will show just part of the power of the navy of the Islamic

Republic Army.

[Rear-Adm Sayyari] Missile- launching gunship, cruisers, personnel carrier vessels, logistics warships, submarines of different classes: Tareq, Qadir and Assabe'at [will be

used]. The performance and efficiency of integrated weapons' system [taslihat-e sazmani] and new equipments will be tested and the latest defence achievements such

as Jamaran destroyer and the submarines that have been added to the Army's Navy Force will be applied and tested.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 0930 gmt 4 May 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol ps © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran: Senior commander hails naval war games, slams foreign media

Excerpt from report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 29 April: An Islamic Republic Guard Corps' [IRGC] top brass officer said here Monday evening [26 April] ultraregional countries disturbing Persian Gulf region's

security are main receivers of Grand Messenger (P) 5 war games.

According to IRNA, the Public Relations of the IRGC reported the Information Headquarters Officer of the war games, Second Lieutenant Ramazan Sharifpur as

adding, "The IRGC has not spared any single day, or even hour aimed at increasing its operation capability against the adventurist moves and incessant threats of entire

probable enemies.

Counting the objectives of the Grand Prophet (P) 5 war games, he said, "These war games had on the one hand the message of peace and friendship for the regional

countries and on the other hand they were a show of the unlimited defence capabilities of the Islamic Republic; practice aimed at improvement of defence readiness and

deterrent power of IRGC naval, land, and aerospace forces and their deterrent capabilities."

Second Lieutenant Sharifpur emphasized, "Iran's undeniable role in ensuring regional and national security based on joint cooperation and free from the need to foreign and ultraregional powers' intervention were among the other objectives of the massive war

game operations.

[Passage omitted: Sharifpur hails the IRGC]

Lieutenant Sharifpur reiterated, "The alien media, aimed at misleading the world public opinion, and particularly cheating the regional nations, launched a psychological

operation and orchestrated a media wave, trying to convey the idea that the major receiver of Grand Messenger (P) 5's message were the regional countries.

The information officer of the war games reiterated, "The matter was clicked on the day that I, along with the Deputy Head of the IRGC Naval Forces Sardar Lieutenant Ali

Fadavi in a helicopter visited the southmost parts of Larak Island and one of the important situations of the war games, measuring the dimensions of strategic Hormoz strait and tackling ways for keeping it open under any possible condition to be used by

entire regional countries and neighbours."

"We also aired the films taken during that flight mission on various TV channels for billions of people around the globe," added the IRGC information commander.

Second Lieutenant Sharif added, "The anti-revolutionary Radio Farda that is affiliated to the CIA, began comparing Iran's military capabilities with those of the UAE the day after that, trying to convey the axes of its thoughts to the public opinion of our neighbours on

the southern coasts of the Persian Gulf, where our media alertness in annulling that plot became of ultra-high importance."

The IRGC Public Relations offices reiterated, "Our media were commissioned to propagate our immense capabilities and the depth of or penetration power into the

remotest corners of the Persian Gulf, along with propagating our shared geographical, religious, cultural, idealistic, and faith commonalties with our neighbours as well as the

shred enemies and intruders that we could have, rather than focusing on the power gap between us and them."

He emphasized, "Due to various reasons, including the unprecedented vastness of the war games operation field on the mainland costs, in the sea and on the islands on the

one hand, lack of access to media reporters at such a vast geographical span; the specialized tactics applied at the operation many of which were confidential; low level

cooperation of some tactical level commanders whose first priority was proper application of military manoeuvres, and lack of access to sufficient night time and

remote distance film taking facilities, we were not able to portray the full scale of our power's grandeur, and the significant points of these war games."

The Grand Prophet (P) 5 war games' spokesman meanwhile referred to the silence observed by alien media regarding inspection of two Italian and French ships in Persian

Gulf and Hormoz Strait waters during the war games, which means they were not displeased with the move, arguing, "Some alien media neither confirmed, nor denied the

news, which was quite OK for us and we welcome the approach."

Sardar Sharif referred to the night time invasion of 60 rapid boats against an imaginary enemy warship at 0330 am as one of the most attractive scenes of the war games for the youth, suggesting that the related films would be aired on IRIB Channel 3, or the Youth Channel which he said is the best time of the night for taking aback any dizzy captain, and the engaged forces' victorious return to the mainland in time to perform

their morning prayer safe and sound there.

At the end, Lieutenant Sharifpur at the end appreciated the restless efforts made by entire reporters and cameramen aimed at recording the various stages of the war

games, announcing that their efforts would be duly thanked next week.

[Passage omitted: More background info on the naval drill]

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0320 gmt 29 Apr 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol Media 290410 fm/eg © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Chavez denies Iranian military presence in Venezuela - paper

Text of news item citing ILNA headlined "Chavez denied the presence of IRGC in Venezuela" published by Iranian newspaper Mardom Salari on 28 April

Venezuela has denied the presence of Islamic Republic Guard Corps [IRGC] in this country. According to ILNA [Iranian Labour News Agency], which cites the BBC, the

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in his TV speech has strongly rejected Pentagon's recent report about the increase in the members of Qods forces of the IRGC in

Venezuela. Chavez accused America of making efforts for pressuring Venezuela.

According to the news report, the unclassified note of the United States Department of Defence to the Congress was published last week. In the note, it was claimed that Qods forces have a strong presence in the Middle East and North Africa, but over the recent years these forces have also been known to be present in Latin America, especially in

Venezuela.

Speaking about this issue, Chavez said that the Pentagon report is fake. He added that the America's goal is to build the pretext for its [future] attacks against Venezuela and

overthrow his government. The Venezuelan president called this 12-page report shameful and said that the claim of presence of foreign military in Venezuela is similar to the accusations that the Americans have made and repeated [in the past] in order to

justify their other actions.

Chavez said that the real objective of publishing this kind of report is only to scare the Venezuelan government and added that this report is an obvious threat by the US

government against Karakas in which we can find accusations and lies.

Hugo Chavez has been the president of Venezuela since 1999 and he is a strong critic of America. He calls his government the defender of Venezuelan people against the

threats of Washington.

Source: Mardom Salari, Tehran, in Persian, 28 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol as © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Persian Gulf military drills sent clear warning to West - Iran party chief

Text of report in English by Iranian conservative news agency Mehr

Tehran, 27 April: The Persian Gulf war games sent a clear message to the West, Islamic Coalition Party Secretary General Mohammad Nabi Habibi has stated.

The remarks by the veteran conservative politician came as the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducted a series of large-scale military drills in the Persian Gulf

and the strategic Strait of Hormuz from 22 to 25 April.

"If the United States makes an insane move, the children of the nation in the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces will squeeze the West's throat in the Strait of Hormuz";

Habibi said on Tuesday [27 April].

"The Sepah (IRGC) military exercise had another message too. The nation's response to the enemy on sea will be a lot harsher than from land, and this message may follow

the logic of 'all-or-nothing'"; approach, he noted.

In the four-day war games a number of domestically-made military equipment were successfully tested, namely the radar-evading, ultra-speed Ya Mahdi vessel, the Fajr 3

and Fajr 5 rocket launchers and the short-range Nasr missiles.

Source: Mehr news agency, Tehran, in English 1630 gmt 27 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ra © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Guards naval drill reached all pre-planned goals - Iran defence minister

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, 26 April: Defence Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Sunday evening [26 April] that the recent IRGC military exercise

reached all its pre-determined goals.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps successfully conducted the military exercises dubbed the "Holy Prophet 5" in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The military manoeuvre coincided with the 31st anniversary of the IRGC establishment.

Referring to the firing of several shore-to-shore and sea-to-sea missiles during the war games, Vahidi said Iran-made Nasr (victory), Sa'eqeh (lightning) and Nur (light) missiles

were tested.

He told reporters that the missiles are all made by the Iranian experts and have different ranges.

"We also tested laser smart weapons. They hit their targets with 100 per cent accuracy," he added.

The minister reiterated that the military drill carried the message of peace and friendship to all regional states, adding that it is a messenger of lasting security in the whole

region.

However, he added that the manoeuvre was also a serious warning to foreign countries that, through their interferences, create tension in the region.

The IRGC military drill also had another message, saying all ships can pass through the Persian Gulf in full security and that there is no concern for any marine activities, he

said.

The exercises proved Iran's high defensive potentials, he said, adding that the IRGC forces indicated that they could safeguard the security of the entire region.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0720 gmt 26 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol mt © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran possesses retaliation scenarios against nuclear attack - military official

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 25 April

25 April: Amid threats of a nuclear attack against Iran, a top official with Iran's Armed Forces says the country has "retaliation scenarios" against any aggressor.

"The Islamic Republic has prepared retaliation scenarios against aggressions, which will bring regret to the enemy," the deputy head of Iran's Armed Forces Headquarters,

Brigadier General Seyyed Mas'ud Jazayeri, said Sunday [25 April].

He added that Iran's Armed Forces are always ready to take appropriate defensive measures to counter possible attacks, IRNA reported.

The commander pointed to "successful" military drills held by units from Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormoz and

stressed, "Security of the Persian Gulf region should be provided by regional countries."

He said that Western powers face problems in their plans and policies, adding, "Our enemies have a combination of their own conflicts and problems."

Jazayeri reiterated that the IRGC would give a "firm and crushing" response to any aggressor.

He also urged the departure of foreign forces form the Persian Gulf "because we consider them as enemies."

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1807 gmt 25 Apr 10

BBC Mon TCU ME1 MEPol 260410 fm/chm © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Commander says Iran used new methodology in war game

Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 25 April

[Presenter] I have an interview with Deputy IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hoseyn Salami. Could you tell me how far did the Great Prophet 5 achieve its goals and what

impact did it have on the Persian Gulf and Oman See security equations?

[General Salami] In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. I would like to express my greetings and respect to the great and honourable Iranian nation. As it was mentioned on the first day of the military exercise, the major objective of this war game at the strategic level was to improve the defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in promoting security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormoz region. We also aimed at displaying Iran's defensive power in maintaining the complete security of our

country at sea and land borders. Furthermore, we wanted the enemies who use language of threat and attempt to target Iran with their psychological warfare to

understand the consequences of their statements.

At the beginning of this great naval war game, we organized a large array of offensive vessels to display the ability of Iran - as a deserving and determining guard - in

defending one of the greatest energy reserves and one of the most strategic economic and energy bottlenecks in the world, i.e. the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormoz. We

are today able to carry out simultaneous and diverse naval battles in distant areas against enemies and to prove our power.

On the other hand, the attacks against the hypothetical vessel units of the enemy last night showed that we do not rely on the climatic conditions in defending the security of

the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. We are able to manage continuous, long-term and round-the-clock battles in the sea. Furthermore, our land battles which for the first time

displayed fluid offensive against enemy's offence presented a novel defensive methodology in land battles. Today, we do not use fixed and static defensive systems against enemy's offence. We rather use a large number of fast-moving and agile units

against armoured units and land-marine operations of the enemy. By carrying out extensive ambush offences against enemies' armoured and mechanized columns we

are able to manage extensive land battles.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 1630 gmt 25 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ra

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010Commander says Iran war game threat to USA

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Bandar Abbas, Hormuzgan province, 25 April: Deputy commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) Naval Force said here on Sunday [25 April] that the Great Prophet V War Games posed a threat to the very foundation of the US by

demonstrating Iran's capabilities.

Talking to reporters after the end of the manoeuvre, Admiral Ali Fadavi said that the exercise was conducted stage by stage and went on schedule, as in the previous

undertakings.

It was conducted under a certain circumstances and had positive impacts, he said.

Referring to the threats posed by the enemies, he noted that this time also it was undertaken following the stupid threats by certain foes.

"We conducted the Great Prophet Manoeuvre in one of the most sensitive points of the world to both showcase our capability to establish security for the country and other

regional states and can pose threats to their enemies," he said.

"We are able to threaten the bases of the US everywhere in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait and free waters,' Fadavi said.

IRGC started military exercises code-named "Holy Prophet V" in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on 22 April.

The ground, air and naval units of the IRGC participated in the three-day exercise which is aimed at preserving the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as the

world's key economic and energy routes.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1510 gmt 25 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ra © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran carries out night operation against hypothetical warships in Persian Gulf

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, 25 April: Speed boats of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps naval force carried out a night operation against warships of the

hypothetical enemy in Persian Gulf's waters in the wee hours of Sunday.

The operation was successfully launched by 60 speed boats, Ali Reza Tangsiri, an IRGC commander, told IRNA in this southern province.

According to the commander, the IRGC naval force has succeeded to complete the operation despite bad weather conditions and high sea waves.

The night operation was part of a four-stage military exercise of the IRGC forces which was started in the region since 22 April.

Code-named the "Holy Prophet 5," the war game was conducted in the Persian Gulf and the Straight of Hormuz to demonstrate the naval strength of the IRGC.

The military manoeuvre coincided with the 31st anniversary of the IRGC's establishment.

The IRGC 's naval, air and ground forces are taking part in the major drill that is designed to display Iran's deterrent military power to help establish security in the

strategic region.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0745 gmt 25 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol mt © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran Guards Corps to test-fire two cruise missiles in war games

Text of report in English by Iranian conservative news agency Mehr

Tehran, 25 April: The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps plans to simultaneously test-fire two cruise missiles today in the last stage of a war game.

Two missiles, one from the coast and another from the sea, will be fired at a common target simultaneously, IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Morteza Saffari said on

Saturday [24 April].

Naval, air, and ground units of the IRGC have been conducting a large-scale military manoeuvre in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz since Thursday.

Saffari said four types of naval missiles will be test-fired during the last phase of the Great Prophet 5 war games on Sunday.

One of the missiles to be tested is the short-range Nasr missile, which is fired from the seashore and has the capability to destroy large vessels, he added.

In the fourth and last phase of the manoeuvre, which is to be held on Sunday, two cruise missiles will also simultaneously be fired at a common target.

The IRGC cruise missiles have the capability to fly near the ground and hit their targets intelligently and with great precision.

On Thursday, the radar-evading, rocket-carrying ship the Ya Mahdi was successfully tested for the first time.

A total of 313 speedboats that can fire rockets and missiles are also being used in the war games.

Source: Mehr news agency, Tehran, in English 0605 gmt 25 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol mt © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran to inaugurate production line of unmanned plane - commander

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Bandar Abbas, 24 April: Iran will inaugurate production line of unmanned planes, Commander of Aerospace Unit of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said on Saturday [24 April].

Talking to IRNA, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh told IRNA that one of the main features of the airplane branded "Pahbad" is its high flight range and that the airplane was tested in Holy Prophet V Manoeuvre.

The airplanes can identify the operations region fully and send data to those leading the operations, he said.

He said that the IRGC Aerospace Unit performed well in Holy Prophet V War Games.

IRGC started military exercises code-named "Holy Prophet V" in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.

The ground, air and naval units of the IRGC participated in the three-day exercise which is aimed at preserving the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as the world's key economic

and energy routes.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1455 gmt 24 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol at © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

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Iranian MP says war game aims to promote "peace, friendship" in region

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 24 April: Member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Ali Aqazadeh said on Saturday [24 April] that the IRGC manoeuvre in the Persian Gulf

region code-named "Holy Prophet 5" aims to promote peace, friendship and brotherhood among countries of the region.

Speaking to IRNA, he said security of countries located in the Persian Gulf region is among Iran's top priorities which are manifested in such significant war games.

The IRGC war game "Holy Prophet 5" truly demonstrates Iran's strength and authority in the region and proves that the Iranian nation is determined to seriously deal with any

insecurity and provocation in the region.

Referring to the nuclear threat posed by the US president against Iran, he said the war game was a crushing response to such irresponsible allegations.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1440 gmt 24 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol at © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran war games to see launching of four new missiles 25 April

Text of report by Iranian conservative, privately-owned Fars News Agency website

Tehran, 24 April, Fars: The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) plans to test fire 4 new types of Iran-made coast-to-sea and sea-to-sea missiles in the next stage of the massive war-games underway in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a senior

Iranian military commander announced on Saturday [24 April].

"Four types of naval missiles have been selected and God wiling they will be fired successfully tomorrow [25 April]" IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Morteza Saffari

said in an interview with Fars.

The commander further pointed to Iran's recently made short-range Nasr cruise missiles as among those to be test fired during the next stage of the war-games.

IRGC staged a series of war-games in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, codenamed Great Prophet 5, to boost vigilance and combat preparedness of its naval

forces.

"The country's defensive experts have enhanced such tactical capabilities as the range and power of these missiles.

"And we will witness the actual capabilities of these missiles in operation," Saffari stated.

The Iranian Defence Ministry started mass-production of Nasr 1 (Victory 1) cruise missiles in March.

"Nasr 1 missile is a cruise missile capable of destroying 3-ton weighted vessels," Iran's Defence Minister Vahidi said at a ceremony to inaugurate Nasr 1 production line at the

defence ministry's Aerospace Industries Organization.

Vahidi also said that Nasr 1 is a short-range coast-to-sea and sea-to-sea missile which could be fired from coasts and all types of vessels.

He announced that his ministry plans to enhance tactical capabilities of the missile, saying the missile will soon be equipped with the capability to be fired from choppers

and submarines.

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 1145 gmt 24 Apr 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol ka © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Third phase of Iranian naval war games in Persian Gulf ends

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

South Iran (Bandar-Abbas), Hormuzgan, 24 April, IRNA: The third stage of the IRGC war game dubbed "Holy Prophet 5" ended successfully in the Persian Gulf region, a military official said

Saturday [24 April].

Spokesman of the Islamic Republic Guards Corps (IRGC) military drill Brigadier General Abdullah Araqi made the remarks while talking to reporters covering the event.

The manoeuvre was a fight against the imaginary enemy, Araqi said, adding that it showed full readiness of the IRGC's naval forces to strongly react to any likely attacks against the country.

The naval, air and ground forces have been under special training for six months in order to get ready for the military drill, Araqi added.

He said in addition the third phase of the manoeuvres was directed and controlled in a war room, in completely real conditions, adding that the IRGC's ground forces succeeded in achieving all their war game goals.

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 0940 gmt 24 Apr 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol ka © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

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Iran guards secure position at Strait of Hormoz during drill

Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 24 April

[Correspondent] Today, all units present in the Great Prophet 5 military exercise counted the seconds before the order and the code for the most sensitive stage of this

powerful exercise was issued.

[A commander] With the permission of the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] we start the operations with the code of Ya Fatemat-al-Zahra, Ya

Fatemat-al-Zahra, Ya Fatemat-al-Zahra.

[Over the transmitter] Yavar received.

[Correspondent] Today, the Great Prophet 5 military exercise witnessed the display of power by the IRGC ground forces supporting various naval units and vessels of the

Islamic Republic of Iran.

[An officer] This is the most eastern part of the Strait of Hormoz. We are witnessing the most vigorous conflict between various units of IRGC ground forces against the

hypothetical enemy to keep their control over this strategic strait.

[Correspondent] The hypothetical enemy made efforts to reduce the volume of fire and make advancement. It attempted to make a strategic opening from eastern part of the

Strait of Hormoz and to stabilize its position.

The heliborne operations of enemy's marines behind the forces of the IRGC in order to penetrate the depth of Iran's coastal areas faced the all-out attack and invasion of the IRGC ground forces and the self-reliant special unit. The anti-heliborne operations and the voluminous fire against the positions of the enemy gave a special feature to today's

scene of military exercise.

Now one of the most important points in the exercise:

[A commander] During the exercise smart long-range missiles made by domestic [defensive] industries were tested and assessed.

[Correspondent] Using a new laser, optic and electro-optic [systems], the IRGC has been able to easily intercept various enemy positions, lock its long-range artillery and

destroy them in an intelligent and automatic manner. In a new tactic, the IRGC created various defensive, including point and mosaic, layers to force the enemy to retreat.

[A commander] The type of our setting and tactic is fully in conformity with enemy's capabilities. In a tiered manner, from the frontline to a far-distanced depth, we have set

the forces in a team form. They all have a secure position. The moment the enemy starts heavy bombing, we keep our weapons, equipment and forces in secure positions.

After we have forced the enemy to fight a close battle, we will with the grace of God destroy it.

[Correspondent] There was full coordination among the IRGC three forces and the supporting fighter-bombers, radars, and IRGC aerospace drones to gather as much

intelligence as possible over enemy's movement and positions.

[A commander] A missile division and three brigades were also kept as reserve in the region. They carried out all the stages of movement, transfer and stationing in their

positions. I should also give good news to the dear Iranian nation and that is that in near future, we will add radar-evading bombing drones to our combat organization.

[Correspondent] Good day, general. How did the forces act?

[IRGC commander] It was great and praiseworthy.

[Correspondent] We will witness the launching of various types of surface-sea missiles during the Great Prophet 5 operations.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 0930 gmt 24 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ra © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran paper sums up Western media reaction on Persian Gulf military exercises

Unattributed report headlined "Sanctions game in New York, demonstration of power in Persian Gulf" published by Iranian newspaper Javan on 24 April

The Corps' [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, IRGC] three-day military exercises in the Persian Gulf, which were at a time when the US Vice-President Joseph Biden's threats

about getting closer to the final agreement on sanctions against Iran, had a broad reflection in the Western media.

Obama's Vice-President Joseph Biden appeared in the ABC News Network's programme "The View" and claimed that the resolution for sanctions against Iran will be ratified in the UN Security Council by May. He said: Everybody, from the Israeli prime

minister to the British prime minister and the Russian president agree that the next step that is to be taken, is through the UN sanction process. Biden added: I believe that by

the end of this month and the start of next one (May), you will witness a sanction regime.

At the same time, Biden answered the question whether it is possible for Israel to attack Iran without consulting Washington, saying Israel has agreed to wait and see what the

outcome of the new sanctions by the UN will be.

Congress's impatience

The Western diplomats in New York also say that Security Council's permanent members together with Germany that is 5+1 hold meetings in New York nearly every day and discuss US draft of sanctions against Iran. The process of these talks has

evidently become lengthy, under the influence of Iran's new suggestion on fuel swap. Some parts of these talks were disclosed by well-informed sources in the interview with "Javan" [newspaper] on Wednesday [21 April]. This has caused the American Congress

to announce if the resolution on sanctions against Iran is not ratified in the Security Council by the end of this month [April]; it will pass the sanction bill unilaterally.

In a statement passed by 43 positive and 11 negative votes on Thursday [22 April], the American House of Representatives expressed its impatience about the process of 5+1 talks, declaring that if this 5+1 [meeting] does not agree on sanctions against Iran, it will

finalize Iran sanction bill.

In addition, the newspaper New York Times disclosed yesterday [23 April] that it has had access to a document, which indicates the US State Audit Office has made a list of 41 foreign companies - for example the companies from China that make investments in

Iran's oil and gas sectors - in order to be subject to punishments by the US.

China's objection

Despite the emphasis by Obama's vice president on finalization of sanctions, Beijing has stressed the diplomatic policy for tens of times over the past one or two months. At a press conference on Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Yu said that China had participated in New York Conference (5+1) with a positive approach and

that they have discussed America's project (resolution draft).

He added: Government of Beijing has always tried diplomatic ways in dealing with Iran rather than employing economic pressures.

Illustration of power in Persian Gulf

Simultaneously with the attempts by the US government for sanctions against Iran, the IRGC started its three-day military exercise. This exercise, which was held amid the

atmosphere of heavy diplomatic pressures by the US and also unofficial reports about the possibility of Zionist regime's military attack on Iran, had broad reactions.

The Associated Press published a detailed report on Iran military exercise, reflecting Pentagon's reaction to this exercise. It wrote: Pentagon Press Secretary Joseph Morel

said that nothing beyond the usual military exercises that Iran had held before was seen in this exercise. American Marine Forces have also claimed that this military exercise

will not have a considerable effect on the US operations in the sea.

The American newspaper Christian Science Monitor reflected this exercise by highlighting Iran's high-speed boats in the Persian Gulf. In a report headlined "Start of Iran's military exercise with new high-speed boats", this newspaper wrote: This year, Iran's military exercise in the Persian Gulf started earlier than previous years and with

the illustration of high-speed boats and word games [Persian: laffazi, presumably it has been war games in the original text, mistranslated into Persian]. In a part of this report

there is a mention of dramatization of high-speed boats attack on a cruiser, saying: The Guards Corps boats attacked an old cruiser as a target in the Persian Gulf on

Wednesday.

With the title "Iran started its military exercise by condemning America", the New York Times wrote: Ayatollah Khamene'i, the Iranian supreme leader, announced that

Obama's atomic [nuclear] strategy is a nuclear threat against Iranian nation and Iran's State-run TV also reported on Thursday [22 April] that Iranian army started a military

exercise in the Persian Gulf, where America and Israel have increased their presence over the past few months.

The Wall Street Journal also wrote in a report entitled "Simultaneously with military exercise, Iran lobbies against America's sanction" that the Strait of Hormuz that joins

Oman Gulf to the Persian Gulf is the place for transit of about 20 per cent of the world's oil.

In a report on the first day of the Great Prophet-5 military exercise by the IRGC, BBC Arabic TV stressed that holding this exercise in the Persian Gulf and Hormuz Strait is an evident message of the military presence of foreign countries, especially America in this

region.

In addition, on the first day of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' military exercise, called Great Prophet 5, the Al-Jazeera channel covered the exercise in a report, saying: From

Iran's perspective, political manoeuvres have not been a sufficient factor. This is evident, at least by the timing of Iran's new military exercises.

The Al-Jazeera channel, which broadcast a report on the first day of holding the exercise on top of its reports, stressed: This is not the first time that Iran has held such

military exercises, although the Iranian officials believe this is the first and most important military exercise of the kind in the current year. Quantitatively, less than one-

third of military units of IRGC's ground, air and marine forces participate in this exercise. Qualitatively, the new weapons that are tested in this exercise consist of a collection of

domestically-made missiles and defence weapons.

According to this report, the importance of these manoeuvres is not limited in their quality and quantity. Rather, their place and time are also important. On one hand, the place of this exercise is Strait of Hormuz, which is located near the Persian Gulf region,

and on the other, it is the only way of transit of Persian Gulf oil to the outer world.

Source: Javan newspaper, Tehran in Persian, 24 Apr 10, p 19

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran paper analyses recent drills in terms of geopolitical change

Text of report headlined "Geopolitical change in favour of Iran" published by Iranian newspaper Javan on 24 April

Conducting the Great Prophet-5 war games by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] over the past few days and demonstration of the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, with the participation of several frigates; and testing of modern and effective defence and attack armaments, can be evaluated

as in connection with the interpretation of geopolitics.

The "geopolitics" concept is a combined word and explains three parameters of geography, power and politics between the behaviour of mankind and governments and the kind of engineering and operation that could either cause crises and challenges or bring about calm and peace. In other words, adjusting the connection between these

parameters can affect the players' behaviours and actions.

With this introduction, let us talk about the message and role of this smart and powerful war game, which is being held at this sensitive time.

1. This war game is being held while Obama, under the pretext of announcing the US nuclear policies had threatened our country with a nuclear attack. The military-security

activities of the Zionist regime and the mobility of the US regional military and intelligence elements shows possible plans and efforts of the enemy to put pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran along with making some possible deals with some regional

powers.

2. Most of the analysers believe that the possible use of these moves and their psychological and propaganda affects is a moral support to the domestic colourful

subversions and also to force other countries to cooperate in putting more sanctions and economic pressure on the sacred system of Islamic Iran. In this new challenge, the Sea of Oman, Persian Gulf and strategic Straits of Hormuz are a determining angle for the US war and aggression policies in connection with Iraq and Afghanistan occupation

as the US can use this angle for supporting their 300,000 soldiers present in these countries and also for controlling the oil region. In other words, for the "Heartland of the

Middle East" makes the importance of this angle more obvious.

Conducting this great drill with the participation of numerous tactical, operational, small and fast modern weapons, equipped frigates and martyrdom-seeking personnel shows that the resistance policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has the capability in carrying

out such operations.

The drill indicates a fundamental change in the Islamic Republic's position and its geopolitical influence. It highlights the dynamic outcomes in favour of our country in the

region's geopolitical structure. To carry out any threat, the US needs to maintain domination of the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf but today the Islamic Republic has the capability and will to harm them. Because of its location near the sea, the capability and ability to maintain these waters with plenty of frigates and navel equipment owned by the supporters of the Islamic Republic Iran can easily put the US's large and heavy

ships in danger and will make them to regret any possible attack or aggression.

Though this power change is for the benefit of stability and peace and needs cooperation (as is the case with neighbours), it can be harmful and destructive to any

threat or aggression.

But some political analysers who can understand Iran's spiritual elements, such as enthusiasm, national courage and religious spirit in confronting foreigners, have always

advised the US and Israel to avoid entering a war with our country fearing unpredictable results and unknown reactions. Iranians do not want any war, however, will respond to

any aggression and punishing of the aggressors will be the only satisfaction to us.

Source: Javan, Tehran, in Persian 24 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol sh © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran TV gives explanation of naval mine-laying, tactical operations

At 0846 gmt, state-run Iranian TV news channel started showing a recording of a clip on this, the second day of the naval manoeuvres, dubbed "The Great Prophet - 5"

exercises.

The presenter said: "In conjunction with the second day of The Great Prophet - 5 manoeuvres the specialist exercises of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC]

land forces started. It was held in the Persian Gulf area."

The clip then started with no commentary and divers were seen to be participating in underwater and mine-laying operations. These footages were presented as several

clips following one after another.

The presenter added: "At this stage of the exercises conducted at the presence of a military delegation from Qatar, the IRGC units used the latest technological

achievements of the forces to display their combating capabilities. The IRGC naval marine divers showed their total mastery of laying mines at a wide professional scale.

These important operations were carried out using mines with high destructive powers.

"Side by side with the professional IRGC units the local [paramilitary] Basij volunteers also participated.

"The execution of operations such as sticking mines to various surface level vessels and semi-submerged vessels of the hypothetical enemy, taking reconnaissance photos of the hypothetical adversary's sub-surface vessels as well as tracking and identifying of

[various] objectives completed the operations by the IRGC divers."

She added: "Thirty mining vessels were present at this stage of the exercises."

At 0849 gmt, the network then showed various drones taking off from their runways and being directed at ground level; initially with no commentary.

The presenter added: "The drones used new technology to prove their prowess in aerial tracking and intelligence gathering on the movements of the hypothetical enemy. The

information gathered by these aircrafts was transferred quickly to ground control."

At 0850 gmt, then returned to the sea operations in which "calculated and coordinated exercises" were held to track targets.

It was said by the commentator: "The technical team of the IRGC entered the theatre of operations using their expertise and new technologies at their disposal to thwart any

possible electronic disruption [presumably radar-jamming] by enemy's [electro-] magnetic propagation against the Islamic Republic's radar systems."

The presenter then said that the operation which started 22 April is being jointly held by the land, air and naval forces of the IRGC.

She quoted an unnamed IRGC commander saying that all the lessons learnt from the IRGC manoeuvres have already been incorporated into the defence programme of the

IRGC,

At 0851 gmt a correspondent started his clip in the Persian Gulf theatre of operations. He delineated the same issues as above but started talking to unnamed commander who said: "The special diving unit of the IRGC and Basij have been executed using

special equipment. These include: diver-carrying mines and specialised hardware used by divers."

The correspondent then took over at 0852 gmt who said that having "intelligence insight into the movements of the enemy" is operationally quite important. He added that this

can only be done through state of the art technology.

He added that the drones that are available transferred their information quickly to ground control.

He added that there was a military delegation present at the operations; this was the Qatari military officials. A Qatari officer named as Colonel Abd-al Rahim al-Jena'i in

military fatigues talked to the Iranian correspondent in Arabic with Persian voice over: "This manoeuvre would allow our relations with the Islamic Republic to widen and it can

enhance security throughout the Persian Gulf area.

The same colonel assessed the exercise as such: "When I saw the exercises from network six [?!?] it was cause for great pride for us."

At 0853 gmt, the role of the IRGC aerospace personnel was stressed by the correspondent. The anti-jamming operations were hailed by this correspondent.

He said that all the electronic equipment at the disposal of the IRGC were used in combination (Persian: tarkibi).

The correspondent said that tomorrow the exercises enter their third day with the units of the IRGC land and air force carrying out further tactical operations.

Source: Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, Tehran, in Persian 0846 gmt 23 Apr 10

BBC Mon Alert ME1 MEPol ka © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iranian vessels fully cover Persian Gulf - commander

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 23 April

A senior military commander says the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) can now cover the expanse of the Persian Gulf waters with its new fleet of high-speed

vessels.

"Today, on the first stage of the war games, the IRGC successfully covered the expanse of the Persian Gulf waters using native high-speed boats," Rear Admiral Ali-Reza Tangsiri, commander of the First Marine Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards

Corps, told Fars news agency on Thursday [22 April].

Tangsiri was commenting on the first day of a three-day IRGC drill that kicked off across the Persian Gulf on Thursday. The Great Prophet 5 manoeuvre will continue until

Saturday.

He noted that the engineering body of the IRGC has manufactured all the weapons and military equipment that are being used in the war games.

"The chief aim of the drill is to ensure the security of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and to keep it permanently open," he added.

The Iranian commander said the Strait of Hormuz belongs to the Persian Gulf states, and for that reason, foreign countries should not be allowed to meddle in the region's

internal affairs.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 0059 gmt 23 Apr 10

BBC Mon Alert TCU ME1 MEPol 230410 ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

New vessel shows Iran's resolve to establish security - top commander

Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV website on 22 April

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled a native sonar-evading vessel dubbed Ya Mahdi in the initial phase of a new Persian Gulf military drill.

"The domestically-made vessel that carries rockets with powerful destructive capability shows Iran's determined military strength in establishing security in the Persian Gulf,"

IRGC's naval commander Ali Reza Tang-siri said Thursday [22 April] on the first day of the three-day military drill code-named 'The Great Prophet 5'.

High-intensity rockets launched by remote-controlled Ya Mahdi vessels are able to destroy any targets on water surface, added the top commander, quoted by IRNA.

Over 300 vessels equipped with torpedo and guided-missiles are taking part in the massive naval manoeuvres that coincide with the 31st anniversary of IRGC's formation.

In the course of the military drills, 50 high-speed Iranian vessels identified hypothetical enemy targets intruding into the Persian Gulf territory. IRGC naval commandoes then

captured the sea crafts upon disobeying stop orders.

Some 40 per cent of the world's seaborne oil shipments pass through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

The main objective of this war game is to preserve the security of the region.

Source: Press TV website, Tehran, in English 1042 gmt 22 Apr 10

BBC Mon Alert TCU ME1 MEPol 220410 ek © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iran commander says Guards Navy given smart vessels

Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 22 April

[Presenter] The first day of the "Great Prophet Five" military exercise started in the Persian Gulf with 313 rocket and missile-launching vessels carrying Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] Navy commandos. During the exercise, the IRGC Navy for the

first time operated the smart and exclusive vessel "Ya Mahdi".

The super-fast Ya Mahdi vessel which has been mass produced by experts of the IRGC defensive industries is capable of intercepting any form of warship or surface target, and

powerfully destroying and sinking them while avoiding enemies' radars. This vessel uses new interception and destruction technology, and has a high destructive power. By

the introduction of this vessel, the capabilities of the IRGC Navy have doubled in defending the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormoz.

The specification of the first day of Great Prophet Five military exercise was that a combat warship was destroyed in an operation planned to prevent the hypothetical

enemy which had entered the territorial waters of the Islamic Iran.

The Great Prophet Five military exercise will be carried during three days and in four stages.

I will have an interview with IRGC Navy Commander General Morteza Saffari. General, please let us know of the latest situation of the forces taking part in the exercise.

[General Saffari] In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Today, the first stage of Great Prophet Five started with the blessed code of Ya Zeynab al-Kobra.

Various series of operations were carried out at the first stage of the exercise, among the important ones of which was the operational use of a smart and high-destructive-power vessel against all types of surface vessels. Thank God, all forms of this new

vessel have now been handed over to the IRGC Navy staff.

The next series of operations was to choose a real-target vessel which was available to us since the Sacred Defence [reference to Iran-Iraq 1980-88 war] era. We carried out

various stages of our exercise against this hypothetical enemy's vessel.

The occupation of the warship by marines using various vessels, offensive attack against the warship with different forms of rocket-launching vessels and finally the

complete destruction of the warship were among the works done at this stage.

The final stage was to show the offensive power and strength of all types of vessels. Some 313 vessels were chosen under this sacred name [Great Prophet] to show the

strength of the navy to the people in Iran and the Islamic ummah in the world.

Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian 0930 gmt 22 Apr 10

BBC Mon ME1 MEPol ra © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Iranian Al-Alam TV broadcasts footage of Great Prophet 5 naval drill

At 0814 gmt, Iranian Al-Alam TV interrupted its normal programming to broadcast video footage and updates on the first phase of the Great Prophet 5 exercise.

The images showed Iranian speed boats and helicopters in full action.

The boats attacked a bigger ship with rockets from launchers mounted on their decks, sending plumes of smoke above and around the ship.

The images also showed that not all of the rockets hit the ship. Two helicopters dropped soldiers on the ship as one soldier was waving the Iranian flag from the top of the ship's mast.

In a telephone update, Al-Alam correspondents said that the Iranian forces ended the first phase of the exercise with the participation of 50 boats and more than 300 vessels. "The decoy enemy ship was sunken after the attacks by the military speed boats," he said. The correspondent added that forces from Iran's air force and the navy of the Iranian Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) took part in the exercise. He noted that Iran had used a new locally-made vessel in this exercise, describing it as "very quick and with massive destructive power".

The channel also political analyst interviewed Hasan Alizada over the telephone. He said that the exercise would "limit the external interference" in the Persian Gulf and that that the US "threats" against Iran "will not frighten the Iranian people".

At 0832 gmt, Al-Alam TV resumed its normal programming.

Source: Media observation by BBC Monitoring 22 Apr 10

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Iran to hold major three-day naval manoeuvres on 22 Apr 10

Text of report by Iranian conservative, privately-owned Fars News Agency website

Tehran, 21 April: The deputy commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps [IRGC] announced: A combination of all equipment, systems, missile capabilities, communication and telecommunication systems, electronic warfare and surveillance systems will be used in the Great Prophet 5 [Payambar-e A'zam 5] naval manoeuvre.

According to a Fars correspondent in the region, General Hoseyn Salami, the IRGC deputy commander attended a news conference a few minutes ago where he said: This manoeuvre will be held by the IRGC Navy and will be participated by certain units of the IRGC ground and air forces. The manoeuvre will be held in three days and will start as of tomorrow, Thursday 2 Ordibehesht [22 April], in the general areas of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormoz.

Stating that the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormoz were the key hub of world energy and economic, he said that the most important objectives of the manoeuvre was: In this manoeuvre we will re-identify the constructive, effective and decisive role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in providing security for the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormoz. We want to familiarize the world with this region's security issues and the undeniable role of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He said that many commercial straits in the world are unsafe today, adding: The Islamic Republic of Iran pays a heavy financial, moral and military price for providing for security of the strategic Strait of Hormoz. And this task remains a priority permanently.

He said that the manoeuvre had a message of peace, friendship, security, calmness and mutual trust for the countries of the Persian Gulf, adding: We would like such manoeuvres to be held with the participation of the military units of these brotherly countries and in the presence of their commanders. We hope that this will happen in the future.

Salami added: It is possible that some countries from beyond this region, such as hostile European states and the Zionist regime [Israel], may use this manoeuvre in line with their Iranophobia project; however, what bonds us with our neighbouring Muslim countries is our deep strategic bonds.

He said that Islam provided a common belief, common interests and common understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the countries of the Persian Gulf in providing security for the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormoz.

He said: This manoeuvre is not a threat against friendly states, it is a turning point for establishing joint security and defence ventures with neighbouring states to stop the penetration of foreign countries [into the region].

Stating that foreign countries had failed to provide for security of the Gulf of Eden and to free it from terrorists and pirates, Salami said: However, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormoz have always been secure due to the powerful presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He stated that another objective of the manoeuvre was to display the determination and will of the Islamic Republic of Iran to defend the independence and territorial integrity of waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. He said: It is below the dignity of the Iranian nation when an enemy uses the hostile language of threats against it. Therefore, we show them, in practice, the determination of the Islamic Republic to display a reaction which will make them regret.

He said: Therefore, the enemy should know that we have very strong forces and defence capabilities that can defend our territorial integrity for an unlimited amount of time.

He said: A combination of weapons, equipments, intelligence systems, electronic warfare, military vessels, unmanned surveillance planes systems, communication and telecommunication systems, missile systems and other equipment, which have been independently tested in other war games, will be tested in this manoeuvre.

Stating that he could not give an exact number of the troops taking part in the war game, Salami said: Less than one-third of the different military units of the IRGC are taking part in this war game.

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 0611 gmt 21 Apr 10

BBC Mon alert ME1 MEPol sp © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010

Officer outlines Iran army's accomplishments since Islamic Revolution

Text of unattributed report from "Politics" column headlined "Commander of operational base of army in west of country: We are fully alert" published by Iranian newspaper Mardom Salari on 14 April

The commander of the operational base of the army in western Iran has said: "Today, our preventive power is so high that the enemies do not dare make any threat or movement."

According to an ISNA [Iranian Students News Agency] report, on the occasion of Army Day [18 April], Manuchehr Kazemi addressed correspondents and referred to the services rendered by the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the years since the revolution. He said: "The first service by the Army was coordination, cooperation, and helping the victory of the revolution and the revolutionary elements of the army such as Martyr Kolahdouz, Martyr Seyyed Shirazi, Martyr Namjou, and so on, who joined the revolutionaries and brought the revolution to victory." He added: "The other action by the Army was confrontation against the different conspiracies plotted by the enemies of the revolution, from the siege on Paveh to the mutiny in Kordestan, which show the Army's devotion and sacrifice in neutralizing all these conspiracies." He also referred to the formation of revolutionary organizations such as the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] and Basij as other services rendered by the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the beginning of the victory of the revolution.

The commander of the operational base of the Army in western Iran continued: "With the start of the imposed [Iran-Iraq] war, the Army, along with the other Armed Forces of the country, defended the country in the course of the eight years of holy defense [Iran-Iraq war]. During this period, by participating in 239 attacking operations and 71 defensive operations and suffering 48,000 martyrs and 170,000 honorable disabled people, it played an important role in the victory of the revolution in this domain." He

added: "In the period of holy defense, the Army in the Province of Kermanshah also dedicated 5,500 martyrs and 7,200 disabled to the revolution.

"Also, after the holy defense, the Army's services continued and the Ground Forces of the Army have played a significant role in maintaining the security of the borders, confronting plots, and conspiracies, and fighting the smuggling of weapons, ammunition, and drugs. In addition, to date, hundreds of weapons and amounts of ammunition and tens of tons of drugs have been discovered by the Army throughout Iran."

Kazemi stated: "The implementation of some maneuvers in the country since the imposed war has been another action taken by the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran that has been staged to raise and maintain combat alertness and create deterrence." He continued: "Another action taken by the Ground Forces of the Army was the clearing of the mines left from the period of the imposed war. To date, more than 1 million hectares of land contaminated with mines have been cleared by the Army, millions of unexploded mines and ammunition rounds have been neutralized, and in the end 850 martyrs have been dedicated to the revolution."

He referred to the efforts to achieve self-reliance as another action by the Army and said: "The Army has welcomed the order of the leader of the revolution on self-reliance. We have had a lot of achievements in these years, including the construction of the Jamaran warship, the Zolfaghar tank, and the Azarakhsh and Se'egheh warplanes."

The commander of the operational base of the Army in the west of the country stated: "Another activity by the Army has been the restoration of buildings, the installations, and the barracks, which has cost has tens of billions of tomans."

He referred to the on-time and quick presence of the Army at the time of natural disasters and stated: "During these years, when natural disasters like the Bam earthquake, the Golestan flood, and so on have occurred, the Army played an effective role in helping those stricken by these disasters."

He also noted the participation of the army in development projects and stated: "A lot of development projects have been implemented in different sections by the Ground Forces of the Army and by the establishment of construction bases."

Referring to the formation of search teams by the Army, Kazemi said: "To date, the search units of the Army of the Islamic Republic have identified more than 7,000 of the martyrs of the holy defense period."

He also referred to the elevating of the fighting readiness of the units by revising training methods, using domestically made equipment, and the experiences of the holy defense period as other activities of the Army."

Source: Mardom-Salari website, Tehran, in Persian 14 Apr 10

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