Iran exhibits its weapons in a show of force
Iran showed off its armaments Saturday at annual army celebrations meant to highlight the oil-rich nation’s military self-sufficiency and prowess in the face of international sanctions and U.S. hostility.
Iranian-made Saegheh fighter jets, which some military experts say are based on U.S. F-18s, screeched across the sky over Iranian-made armored personnel carriers and Ghadr missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 miles.
“All these arms and equipment have been manufactured in Iran by Iranian experts,” an announcer declared on state-controlled television.
Military commanders and political officials assembled for the military parade near the tomb of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini said they were undeterred by the possibility of U.S. or Israeli military attacks or increased economic pressure on Iran. The Islamic Republic is at odds with the West over its ambitions to acquire advanced nuclear technology and its alleged support for armed Islamic groups.
“Those who believe that through rotten means, such as psychological warfare and economic sanctions, they could hinder progress of the Iranian nation are wrong,” said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is scheduled to arrive in New York today and to address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Iran and the U.S. are engaged in a struggle over influence in the Middle East. Tehran accuses Washington of destabilizing the region by backing Israel and occupying Iraq. The U.S. accuses the Islamic Republic of pursuing nuclear weapons and supporting anti-American militants in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
U.S. officials refuse to rule out the possibility of war to curtail Iran’s ambitions and slow its nuclear program. On Saturday, the leaders of Iran’s military issued forceful warnings about the consequences of any such attack, vowing to quickly escalate the conflict to the broader region.
Officials said Iranian forces are monitoring U.S. activities from the Persian Gulf to the northern Indian Ocean, where U.S. battleship groups often sail.
“We will target the interests of any country which intends to take action against Iran, no matter where their interests are located, and we believe in our victory,” said Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, commander of the Iranian navy.
The newly appointed head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s elite and ideologically driven parallel military force, said any Middle Eastern country that allowed the U.S. or Israel to use its airspace for an attack on Iran would be considered an ally of the U.S. and Israel.
“You have seen the missiles -- just pull the trigger and shoot,” Maj. Gen. Mohammed Ali Jafari said when asked how Iran would respond if another country was used as a base for an attack on Iran, Reuters reported.
At the U.N., Ahmadinejad hopes to sway other countries to oppose a U.S.- and French-backed proposal to tighten economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
The president, reviled by some for comments questioning the Holocaust and calling for the destruction of Israel, will also appear Monday at a controversial forum at Columbia University.
--
Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writer Daragahi from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
