Iran holds military drill near Iraqi border to counter ISIS infiltration
The stated goal of the exercise appeared as a shift from Iran's older official line, in which it had declared and taken credit for a "full eradication" of the Islamic State (ISIS).
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held a large-scale military drill on the country's western border with Iraq on Monday, in what it described as an exercise to counter "terrorist" threats coming from Sunni extremist groups, particularly the Islamic State (ISIS).
Held near the border town of Qasr-e Shirin, the drill covered "operational planning, command and control" using a wide range of "novel" military equipment, electronic warfare, radar and reconnaissance systems, drones, helicopters, artillery and armored vehicles, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.
While Iran has its regular army known as Artesh, the IRGC receives the lion's share of the country's defense budget and remains its most powerful military institution while it also runs a gigantic financial conglomerate. The organization leads Iran's anti-terror and intelligence operations and engages in controversial activities worldwide under its shadowy branch known as the Quds Force.
The IRGC Ground Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour said the drill was meant for preparedness, to tackle "complicated terrorist threats and scenarios" as "policies adopted by bullying powers continue to produce and spread terrorist organizations."
