Iran prepared to counter aggression: Military official

A top military officer said Wednesday the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is fully prepared to counter any possible military aggression against the country.

"In case of an attack on the country, our plans are always ready and we will spring into action. We are geared up at any moment. We might have been engaged in a number of wars, had we not been such prepared," Brigadier General Hossein Chitforoush told Press TV.

When asked about the timing of the large-scale Mohammad Rasoulallah (PUBH) military drills currently underway in Iran, he said, "(Iranian) Armed Forces carry out studies and surveys concerning possible threats throughout a year, and demonstrate whatever is necessary during a certain point in time and expanse of land."

The senior military officer also drew a distinction between the ongoing manoeuvres and those staged earlier, noting that Iran had not previously held military exercises in an area stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the south of the Gulf of Aden.

Chitforoush further described the transfer of expertise from veteran Iranian military figures to Iranian cadets among the major objectives of Mohammad Rasoulallah (PUBH) military exercise.

He also said IRIAF seeks to further increase its preparedness to defend Iran.

The joint manoeuvres by the Iranian Army's ground, naval and air forces, which started last Thursday, are logistically supported by Khatam al-Anbia Air Defence Base and cover an area of 2.2 million sq kms stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz all the way to the 10th parallel north in the Indian Ocean.

On Tuesday, during the last stage of the military drills, domestically-built AB212 helicopter, which is equipped with machine guns and rocket launchers, carried out strikes against mock enemy submarines.

The Iranian Navy's submarines using passive SONAR (sound navigation and ranging) also managed to track enemy summaries. The Navy's submarines then destroyed the targets by firing torpedoes.

The Islamic Republic repeatedly announced that its military might poses no threat to other countries, stating that its defence doctrine is based on deterrence.