Iran’s Velayat-4 Naval Drills Kicked Off in Hormuz Strait

Friday 29 January 2016

Iran’s Velayat-4 Naval Drills Kicked Off in Hormuz Strait

Local Editor

Iran: Velayat-4 drills

The Iranian Navy forces started on Wednesday the first military drill after the nuclear deal with the P5+1 group, in what considered the main phase of massive war games along the east of Hormuz Strait over 10 degree-latitude north of the Indian Ocean, Al-Manar TV reporter said.

"Naval forces are of strategic significance and above sea and subsea divisions must be ready, along with the air support" Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.

Different Navy surface and subsurface units, including destroyers, logistic warships, missile-launching warships and Qadir and Tareq class submarines are taking part of the Velayat 4 exercises that will cover an area of 3 million km2.

Iran: Habibollah Sayyari

Vessels widely deployed in the area, spotted potential enemy movements and identified attack axes in preparation to launch a counter-attack with the help of military destroyers, submarines and support from the Air Force.

"All vessels will be effectively involved in this maneuver, as well as Navy destroyers and Ghadeer and Tariq submarines to implement the tasks entrusted to them and stay alerted," Brigadier Mahmoud Mousawi, Velayat-4 spokesman, said.
Al-Manar TV reporter stated that Iranian naval ships gave warnings to the commercial and other military vessels to avoid the traffic in the area, and forced a US vessel approaching the band to leave the region after sending warning messages to stay outside the boundaries of the exercises.

Velayat-4 navy defense drills include deployment of Navy units, running tactics, firing missiles and torpedoes, as well as Special Marines parade.

The Iranian Navy had also held massive war games in the Eastern waters of the Strait of Hormuz on December 22-23. The drills were aimed at evaluating the military capabilities and testing the equipment of the Iranian Navy.