Iran will carry out large-scale military maneuvers in the coming days amid tensions in the region due to the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, an Iranian agency said on Friday.
The two-day military exercises will take place in the central province of Isfahan, the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, reported.
Armored vehicles, artillery, missiles, helicopters and ‘drones’ (aircraft without crews) will be used, the same source said, according to Spanish agency EFE.
The military said 200 helicopters will take part in one of the maneuvers, but without providing further details.
The maneuvers will come amid heightened tensions in the region due to the war between Israel and Hamas, which began when the Islamist group attacked the Jewish state on October 7.
Israel said the operation caused 1,400 deaths and that Hamas kidnapped more than 200 Israelis and foreigners, whom it is holding hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Israel declared war on Hamas and cut off the supply of energy, water and fuel to the more than two million inhabitants of the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli army has continuously bombed the small territory of 365 square kilometers, with a death toll of more than 7,000, Hamas said.
The European Union (EU) on Thursday called for humanitarian pauses to allow aid to reach the Palestinian people.
Israel accused Iran of supporting the Hamas operation with military training, weapons and intelligence information.
Tehran, which denies the accusations, supports Hamas and has warned of the risk of escalation if Israel does not stop attacks on Gaza.
The conflict has already spread to northern Israel, with gun battles between Israeli forces and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, allied with Iran.
The United States has positioned naval units in the region as a deterrent.
Israel, the United States and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
Source: DN
