Tuesday 6 November 2018 - 15:55
Story Code : 325892
Focus on air defense: Iran flexes military muscle as US reimposes sanctions
Iranian troops honed their air-defense skills at the same time as officials in Washington gave speeches on how they aimed to reduce Tehrans oil revenues to zero and pressure Iran to act like a country.
The drills reportedly took place in a 500,000 square kilometer (193,000 square mile) area and are expected to go on until Tuesday. Dubbed Velayat 97, the nation-wide exercise saw both the countrys military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) taking part.
Footage of the drills, released by Iranian state media, shows anti-aircraft missile systems, radars and artillery units being deployed ahead of the exercise.
The video features a crew of a fixed 35mm twin cannon cheering after scoring a hit, the launch of an unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as servicemen picking up a shot down dummy target.
The massive exercise came just as the US imposed its strongest ever sanctions against Iran, bringing back the restrictive measures and widening the blacklist. The move follows US President Donald Trumps decision to pull out of the landmark nuclear deal with Iran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The first round of US sanctions against Iran was reimposed in August, while the second lot took effect on Monday. New restrictions target Irans oil sector, which Trump earlier threatened to reduce to zero. Eight countries, however, were granted waivers, allowing them to cease dealing with Tehran gradually instead of severing economic ties immediately. Iran, in its turn, vowed to fight back andcontinue to selloil, with the nations President Hassan Rouhani promising in a televised speech tobreak sanctions.
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RT (@RT_com)November 5, 2018
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