Machibet APPIran fire missiles, torpedoes and suicide drones in massive war games in chilling threat to the West | The Sun - Machibet Live

IRAN has launched a series of extensive war games - firing missiles, torpedoes and suicide drones, in a chilling threat to the West.

The annual exercise known as Zolfaqar got underway on Sunday in the south of the country near the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Iran started its military exercises near the Persian Gulf on SundayCredit: Rex

The Iranian war games started one day after the US Navy carried out its own drill in the Persian GulfCredit: Rex

An Iranian Army drone takes off during the annual exerciseCredit: EPA

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaking at an Islamic unity conference, in TehranCredit: Rex

An Iranian warship fires a Qadir missile during the second day of exercisesCredit: Rex

A number of suicide drones were used over the two-day exerciseCredit: Reuters

As part of the exercise a number of missiles were fired on Monday, including Qader, Qadir and Nasr anti-ship rockets, as well as the 15-Khordad and Mersad.

The submarines IRIS Tariq and IRIS Qadir also fired Valfajr torpedoes.

Suicide drones were also used to destroy simulated enemies.

One drone model, known as the Arash, was seen in footage released by the Iranian military, which flew a long distance before it crashed into a predesignated target on the side of a mountain.

Major General Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the manoeuvres were designed to "preserve the territorial integrity of dear Iran, as well as the position and power of the region, against the coalition of enemies, and specifically the coalition of the United States and the Zionist regime," a reference to Israel.

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"Our armed forces, including the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, will crush any threat posed by any arrogant and aggressive power, at any level, and originating from any territory," Rashid said.

The Iranian war games began just one day after the US Navy conducted a missile exercise of its own in the Persian Gulf.

US Central Command said in a press statement on Sunday: "US Navy patrol coastal ships conducted a live-fire exercise with the MK-60 Griffin guided-missile system in the Arabian Gulf, November 4-6, to test crew proficiency and system functionality."

Vessels that took part in the exercise included coastal patrol ships USS Firebolt, USS Thunderbolt, USS Tempest, USS Chinook, USS Hurricane, USS Whirlwind, expeditionary mobile base platform ship USS Lewis B Puller and guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy.

"Some ships also conducted a live fire exercises with crew-served weapons to maintain operator proficiency and readiness for future missions," the Bahrain-based US 5th Fleet said.

TENSIONS ON THE RISE

The manoeuvres come as tensions in the region continue to rise.

In response to the Iran’s actions, Israel’s IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that the army “is accelerating operational planning and preparedness to deal with Iran and the military nuclear threat. Thankfully, the budget that was approved [last week] makes it possible to contend with a variety of threats," reports.

Explosive-rigged drones targeted the residence of Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in an assassination attempt.

The attack came after weeks of unrest following an election last month which a number of Iraqi parties close to Iran are disputing and have led to demonstrations which have seen protestors injured and killed.

No faction has yet claimed responsibility for the attack which has been condemned both by the US and Iran.

Tehran is closer than ever to reaching bomb-grade level uranium since the 2015 nuclear deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Analysts from Institute for Science and International Security - a private think tank - said that a race over the summer to enrich uranium at 60 per cent purity - just below bomb grade - has put Iran in a position to produce the fuel for a bomb in "as short as one month".

A second weapon's worth of fuel could be produced in less than three months and a third in less than five, it says.

Previously, Israel warned Tehran was ten weeks away from a nuclear bomb in early August.

Israel's defence minister Benny Gantz said that "now is the time for deeds - words are not enough," as he warned the hardliner Islamic Republic had enough fuel to stock a nuclear warhead.