The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has kicked off a large-scale exercise in the Persian Gulf, showing advanced defensive and offensive capabilities enhanced by artificial intelligence.
The IRGC Navy began the exercise on Thursday, emphasizing enhanced intelligence readiness and demonstrating the unwavering spirit and resistance of its sailors to confront any threat.
During the exercise, naval units conveyed their firm message by issuing warnings to American ships present in the region.
Advanced air defense systems including Nawab, Majid, and Misagh were also deployed in electronic warfare conditions. Using artificial intelligence, these systems were able to identify flying and naval targets in a fraction of the time and hit them with high accuracy.
The exercise, codenamed Shahid Mohammad Nazeri, takes place across the Persian Gulf, the Nazeat maritime zone – Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Siri islands, the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the Sea of Oman.
Nazeri was the commander of the elite commando units of the IRGC Navy. He is widely recognized in Iran for his direct involvement in the capture of 10 American sailors – nine men and one woman – who wandered into Iran’s territorial waters on January 12, 2016.
The drill conveys a dual message: peace and friendship to neighboring countries, and a clear warning to enemies that any miscalculation will face a decisive response.
Iranian and American naval forces have had a long history of encounters in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz since the 1980s.
The Iranian Navy frequently conducts large-scale drills in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, demonstrating its capabilities and signaling deterrence against foreign powers.
Chief Commander of Iran’s Army Major General Amir Hatami, during a meeting with members of the Parliament’s Planning, Budget and Accounting Commission on Thurday, reiterated that Iran has “not wasted a moment” in enhancing its defense capabilities.
Hatami underlined that protecting the Islamic system is inseparable from safeguarding Iran’s independence and territorial integrity, declaring that “the least harm to the Islamic system is harm to the independence and territorial integrity of our beloved country, Iran."
Addressing long-standing tensions with the United States and Israel, Hatami said hostility from global arrogance has persisted since the victory of the Islamic Revolution and has grown in scope and intensity over time.
He referred to the recent 12-day war in June, stating that Iran was engaged in negotiations with the United States when it was suddenly attacked by Israel with US support.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked war against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.
More than a week later, the United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.
According to Hatami, the aggressors aimed to destroy Iran’s nuclear, missile, and defense capabilities and to assassinate key commanders as part of a broader effort to overthrow the Islamic Republic.
Hatami asserted that Iran “won the war” because its adversaries failed to achieve their objectives.
He said that Israel views Iran as an existential threat, adding, “Since the war, we have not wasted a single moment in strengthening our defense capabilities and enhancing our military readiness, and we have made becoming stronger our top priority.”
Press TV’s website