Presence of 50,000 Basij Forces in the Tharallah Power Defense Security Exercise

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began a two-day exercise named 'Great Tharallah Power Exercise' with the participation of '50,000 Basij forces' starting from the evening of Wednesday, September 2. The stated goal of this exercise is to 'demonstrate defensive and security readiness to counter potential threats.' According to the state news agency IRNA, other objectives of this exercise include 'showing power and unity,' 'enhancing the level of security and tranquility in society,' and 'deterrence against enemies.' Mohammad Kowsari, a representative from Tehran in the parliament and a former commander of the IRGC, stated on Tuesday that this exercise 'shows the enemies' that the IRGC and Basij can execute the command of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in 'the shortest time.' The leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly urged the armed forces to increase their readiness before and after the Vienna nuclear agreement, emphasizing on Tuesday during a meeting with commanders and officials of the Iranian Army's Air Defense Headquarters that they should 'continuously enhance their readiness and options to counter various threats.' Ayatollah Khamenei had also requested in December 2014 that the armed forces of Iran increase their readiness without considering what he called 'political calculations.' Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC, stated on Tuesday that this organization and the army will conduct 20 exercises by the end of the year, including land, naval, aerial, and security exercises. These statements came less than two weeks after Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, announced the holding of a 'large ballistic missile exercise of the IRGC' in the near future. The commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces also recently announced that Iran will hold six specialized exercises, including a missile exercise, by the end of 2023. Among the six exercises mentioned by the Ground Forces commander, one is scheduled to take place in October in western Iran, although Brigadier General Pourdastan did not provide further details related to this exercise. This senior military commander also mentioned that the Ground Forces will hold another exercise in November and December in the eastern part of the country. However, he pointed out that 'there is no threat in the eastern part of the country, and our capabilities are such that they can suppress any threat in its infancy.' In this context, the IRGC's ballistic missile exercise will be held 'in the near future,' and Iran will conduct a missile exercise by the end of the year.