ByNews Desk The Cradle
Iran has warned they will not tolerate the presence of Israeli troops or ISIS elements near their borders
According to the Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces, Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari, the operation codenamed Fatehan-e Khaybar (Conquerors of Khaybar) is aimed at testing weapons, military equipment and assessing the combat readiness of the Armed Forces in the bordering areas of the country.
Tehran announced these drills last month, saying they are intended to safeguard the country’s sovereignty. However, the announcement was made just days after Azerbaijani border troops detained several Iranian truck drivers who were returning from Armenia after delivering fuel and goods to the country.
For decades, Iran has supplied Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh with fuel, but following last year’s 40-day war between Baku and Yerevan, the former retook territory that includes small slices of the road connecting Iran to Karabakh through southern Armenia.
As such, Baku claimed the Iranian drivers had entered the country illegally.
Friday’s drills also come amidst reports that Baku is looking to finalize a two billion dollar weapons deal with Israel, a development that set off alarms in Tehran.
Iranian officials have also expressed concerns about the possible presence of ISIS fighters near their northwestern border, who they say were brought into the region at the height of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Since we are not sure whether they have departed the area, the drill will convey a message to them. They and the Zionists must know they have no place in the region, and that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are fairly sensitive to them and will deal with them wherever they see them,” Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari said during Friday’s drills.
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