BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:10 A.M.) – The Iranian Armed Forces launched their Al-Aqatdar-99 maneuvers off the coast of Makran on Tuesday, coinciding with the last day of U.S. President Donald Trump’s last day in office.
“The maneuvers began in the presence of the commander-in-chief of the army, Major General Abdel Rahim Mousavi, the commander of the ground force, Brigadier General Komarth Heydari, and commanders and officials of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Army Staff,” the Tasnim Agency reported.
The agency said that “the exercises are taking place with the participation of airborne brigades and special forces, and a rapid intervention with support from the air force and army aviation on a large scale off the coast of Makran in southeastern Iran.”
The Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Muhammad Bagheri, confirmed that his country “will start military maneuvers in the southern part of the country.”
Bagheri said during a conference of the Foundation for Preserving the Values of Holy Defense, as quoted by the Mehr Agency, that “Tehran has carried out successful maneuvers despite the threats of the American President, Donald Trump, against Iran in the last days of his rule, which ends two days later with the official inauguration of the President-Elect, Joe Biden.”
“The ground forces in the Iranian army launch maneuvers tomorrow, with the participation of airborne and special forces, and rapid reaction near the coasts of Makran, in the southern part of the country,” he said, noting that “there are Iranian military achievements that we cannot disclose.”
For his part, the commander of the Iranian army’s ground forces, Brigadier General Komarth Heydari, said, “The Al-Aqatdar-99 maneuvers will start tomorrow with the participation of airborne units, special forces and rapid reaction forces near the coast of Makran,” adding that the Special Forces and Rapid Response Brigade 223, supported by the army’s air support” will also participate.
