IRGC Conducts Major Ground Exercise

Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, announced in a press conference on Sunday, April 22, that a major ground exercise will take place this week in the southeast of the country. According to Fars News Agency, the commander stated that the purpose of the exercise, scheduled from April 24 to 26, is to "demonstrate military power established in the region" and to "maintain the combat readiness of regional units." Pakpour mentioned that organized local forces, the Saberi unit, brigades, and divisions of the IRGC, along with the newly established IRGC Airborne unit, will participate in this exercise. He noted that no new weapons would be tested during the exercise, which will be held in the areas of Saravan, Mirjaveh, and Zahedan. While the IRGC has announced this major ground exercise, it had conducted a significant missile exercise about a month ago, which drew reactions from several Western countries. During that missile exercise, the IRGC tested two long-range missiles with a range of 2000 kilometers, which the U.S., France, and several other Western countries deemed a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. However, Iran stated that the launched missiles were not capable of carrying nuclear warheads and did not conflict with the nuclear agreement or even Resolution 2231. The commander of the IRGC Ground Forces further commented on what he called the "lack of control" of the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan over their borders with Iran, stating, "The mission of these borders has been entrusted to the IRGC to prevent terrorist actions against us from neighboring countries, and this is our strategic action." Previously, the transfer of security for parts of Iran's southeastern borders to the IRGC had been announced by other officials. Pakpour accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of organizing some armed groups in eastern Iran, saying, "Saudi Arabia is making great efforts to destabilize our country. Many of the elements of the terrorist groups that have been arrested confessed their connections to the Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia." The IRGC commander also referred to the situation on Iran's western and northwestern borders, stating, "In this area, Turkey, although engaged with PKK elements, has sovereignty over its borders, but this is not the case in Iraq, where the borders are in the hands of terrorists, and there is no news from the Iraqi government or the Kurdistan region." Pakpour continued, "We are neighboring countries that lack sovereignty over their borders or do not have the necessary ability to control and secure their borders, allowing the movement of terrorist elements to occur easily." He stated, "With the actions taken by the IRGC Ground Forces in recent years, the engagements of terrorists have been pushed to the borders, and if there is currently a conflict, it is at the zero border point." Last week, Mohammad Marani, the commander of the IRGC Quds Headquarters, reported the destruction of what he called a "malicious team" linked to the Mujahedin-e Khalq organization in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Earlier in the month of Esfand, Mahmoud Alavi, Iran's Minister of Intelligence, announced the arrest of individuals at the southeastern and western borders who, according to him, intended to carry out "terrorist" actions during the elections on Esfand 7.