Missile Drill Begins One Day After US Sanctions Against Iran

One day after the new US administration imposed sanctions on Iran due to missile testing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the start of the "main phase" of a missile drill in Semnan. According to the state news agency IRNA, the IRGC Aerospace Force stated that on Saturday morning, February 5, it began a drill for "comprehensive defensive preparedness to counter any threats" with the slogan "Jihadist effort, Iranian will, revolutionary power, humiliation of sanctions and threats." The main phase of this defensive drill, named "Defenders of the Wilayat's Borders," has commenced over an area of 35,000 square kilometers in the general region of Semnan, where "various indigenous radar and missile systems at different ranges" are being tested. The IRGC announced that the "main phase" of this drill is being conducted in two sections, cold and hot, where various indigenous radar and missile systems at different ranges, command and control centers, and electronic warfare are engaged in missions. The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, also reported on several missiles being tested in this exercise, stating that these missiles are "defensive systems." According to this news agency, the "3rd of Khordad defensive system" is one of the missile systems in this drill, with a range of 75 kilometers and an altitude of 30 kilometers. This system can simultaneously track four targets and launch eight missiles. The Tasnim news agency also reported that the "Tabas missile system" with a range of 60 kilometers and an altitude of 30 kilometers is being used in this drill. The "Sayyad 2 missile system" is another system employed in this exercise, which has a range of 75 kilometers and an altitude of 30 kilometers. In the meantime, according to Tasnim news agency, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, referred to new threats from some officials of the new US administration as "nonsense" and stated, "If the enemy makes a mistake, our missiles will thunder down upon them." Amir Ali Hajizadeh further emphasized that "we will not hesitate for a moment in producing and enhancing our defensive capabilities," adding, "With the knowledge we have of our armed forces' capabilities, I confidently declare that external threats against our Islamic system are ineffective." He also commented that "today, the backbone of the sanctions in the defensive sector [against the Islamic Republic of Iran] has been broken." The IRGC drill is taking place while the US Treasury Department on Friday, February 5, placed 25 individuals and entities on its sanctions list in connection with the recent missile test by the Islamic Republic on the previous Sunday. These sanctions include 13 individuals and 12 companies, some of which are active in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and China. In response to this issue, Iran has threatened to impose "legal restrictions" against individuals and companies that, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, "play a role in creating and assisting extremist terrorist groups in the region" and "contribute to the killing and suppression of defenseless people in the region." In reaction to Tehran's missile test, the US President previously tweeted that "Iran is playing with fire," emphasizing that he would not adopt Barack Obama's "kind behavior" towards the Islamic Republic. Donald Trump also stated on Thursday that no option is off the table regarding Iran's ballistic missile program. Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's National Security Advisor, also warned on Friday, February 5, in a statement regarding the new sanctions against Iran's missile program that the US government would no longer tolerate "Iran's provocative actions." Michael Flynn had also warned Iran about its missile program on Wednesday evening. In response, Bahram Qasemi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described these statements as "baseless, repetitive, and provocative." He emphasized that Iran's military programs "are not negotiable under any circumstances" and that "none" of the Islamic Republic's missiles "are designed to carry nuclear warheads and do not contradict UN Security Council Resolution 2231." According to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran is prohibited from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for eight years. The Islamic Republic asserts that its missiles are not designed to carry nuclear warheads and that its missile testing does not violate the JCPOA or UN Security Council Resolution 2231.