The Islamic Republic of Iran has started a six-day naval drill, dubbed Velayat 91, or Guardianship 91, to display its defensive capabilities and to test the equipment they have in arsenal. Ships have been warned through IranÂ’s state TV to stay away from the drill's site.
“Among the aims of the drill is to display the capabilities of Iran’s Armed Forces and the Navy to defend our country’s water borders and interests in line with establishing durable security in the region and conveying the message of peace and friendship to the neighboring states,” the country’s naval commander Habibollah Sayyari was quoted by a local TV channel.
The drills are being staged across an area of about 1 million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and northern parts of the Indian Ocean, local media have reported.
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