Iran tones down annual military parade, citing declining U.S. threat
Monday, April 20, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
NICOSIA Ñ Iran has conducted a low-profile annual military demonstration as it considers efforts to reconcile with the United States.
The Iranian military concluded what Western diplomats termed a modest military parade and demonstration. The parade on April 18 did not contain strategic weapons, including intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
Iranian Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi said the threats to his country have significantly declined over the last year. Firouzabadi said the United States under President Barack Obama was no longer threatening Iran.
"This is not at all related to the recent U.S. elections," Firouzabadi said. "Rather they have experienced that the Islamic republic's might has made them unable to confront or stage an aggression against Iran."
Officials acknowledged that the parade, meant to mark Army Day and attended by President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, was smaller than in previous years. They did not explain.
"Iran's armed forces are the guarantor of security in the region," Ahmedinejad said in an unusually brief address. "Today the Iranian nation, with its religious armed forces, is ready to have a wide role in world management and to establish security based on justice across the world."
The Iranian Air Force flew about 40 combat helicopters over Teheran during the demonstration. The air force had promised to fly 140 fighter-jets, but officials said the fixed-wing missions were prevented by poor weather.
"Despite the fact that air force pilots and fighters were ready, we decided to cancel the air show due to dust and low visibility," Iranian Air Force commander Brig. Gen. Hassan Shahsafi said.
Unlike previous years, the military did not parade its Shihab-3B intermediate-range ballistic missile, usually draped by a sign reading "Death to Israel." The "Death to Israel" slogan was displayed on a truck in back of the parade.
"Principally, the Israeli regime is not big enough to threaten a country like Iran," Iranian Army commander Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi said.
Instead, the Zelzal rocket, with a range of 200 kilometers, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles were displayed. Zelzal was deployed by the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah during the 2006 war with Israel.
The military also did not display the Ghader-1 missile, with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers and shown in 2008. The army paraded armored personnel carriers while the navy displayed its new miniature submarines.