NICOSIA Ñ Iran has launched a major military exercise and issued a warning to the United States.
On Tuesday, Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani warned the United
States not to enter Iranian territory or air space. Shamkhani, who earlier
suggested that U.S. aircraft entering Iranian air space would not be harmed,
said the military has been prepared for any scenario.
"Iran will respond to any enemy attack," Shamkhani said. "We are not
Afghanistan. We are not Iraq."
Iran has been holding exercises nearly every month in what Western
diplomatic sources said is a demonstration of strength against Iraq
and the United States. Teheran has expressed concern that the United States
will widen any war against Iraq to include Iran, Middle East Newsline reported.
Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei appealed to military personnel to
retain their Islamic principles and encouraged soldiers to gain
technological skills. In an address to the army academy, Khamenei said
Iran's enemies have targeted the nation's religious beliefs.
The exercise by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is taking place in
the Khorasan province near the border with Afghanistan. The ground force
maneuvers began on Monday and
will last a week.
Iranian commanders said the exercise was meant to improve border
security and defenses. They said the military and security forces have
restored control over Khorasan, which was used for the smuggling of drugs
and weapons from Afghanistan.
"The one-week exercise in Attayieh Neishabour region consists of
maneuvers by various units of ground forces aimed at enhancing the country's
military capabilities," a Revolutionary Guard commander, Mohammad-Taqi
Osanlu, was quoted as saying. "Our unit is equipped with latest
military tools and we are ready to defend our borders."
