Iran is displaying its power through war games before Trump’s second term

Iran’s military forces conducted four days of intense training exercises on Wednesday, which many believe are essentially preparations for how the country will respond to a US, Israeli or joint attack on its nuclear facilities.

Brigadier General Muhammad Nizar Azimi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ powerful western headquarters in Najaf, described the exercises taking place across the country as including “new weapons and equipment.”

Azimi also said that the exercises would test the capabilities of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, which is charged with maintaining internal security.

The war games are likely aimed not only at demonstrating Iran’s ability to respond and defend against any attack from outside the country, but also to ensure the Basij’s readiness to suppress any internal uprising against the country’s clerical ruling clerics that such maneuvers could precipitate. attacks.

Some Iranian analysts who are critical of the government and spoke to CBS News on the condition of anonymity said the drills could be a show of force by Iran due to dramatic changes in the Iranian regime. Balance of power in the Middle East – With Israel significantly disrupting Iranian-backed groups Gaza and LebanonThe long-time Syrian dictator Overthrow of Bashar al-Assad By rebel forces.

“The IRGC needs to conduct these military exercises to show them that Iran is prepared in all aspects,” Dr. Yasser Ershedmanesh, a conservative analyst who lectures at the University of Law and International Relations in Tehran, told CBS News on Wednesday.

Ershedmanesh said that Israel and its Western allies are putting pressure on Tehran and represent an “imminent threat… so these exercises will show Israel and the United States that Iran is fully prepared, and will send a message to the world and the region about Iran’s strength and readiness.” “

Iran’s leaders are likely concerned that President-elect Donald Trump, once he returns to office on January 20, will significantly increase this pressure by implementing further economic sanctions and perhaps by supporting an Israeli military attack on nuclear or missile facilities. Iranian.

Trump and his close advisors are considering options to prevent Iran from making a nuclear weapon, something the president-elect has said he will not allow.

Iranian officials have long said they do not intend to pursue nuclear weapons, but since Trump withdrew the United States from the international nuclear deal with Tehran during his first term, Iran has been steadily backing away. It strengthened its nuclear enrichment programmesWhich brings the country closer to being able to make an atomic bomb.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Trump and his team had discussed the matter Possibility of launching pre-emptive air strikes regarding Iranian nuclear facilities as part of this planning.

One of the main features of the ongoing military exercise “The Greatest Messenger 19” has been a simulated air attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, with simulated strikes seeing an enemy hit the plant with a bunker-buster bomb – the type of Israeli or American weapon. They could be used if targeting Iran’s underground nuclear activities.

Iran’s semi-official news agency (SNN) said the ongoing exercises began on January 4 and include air, land and naval forces and weapons systems, and that they aim to test Iran’s home-made air defense systems, including a number of different short and medium missiles. – Long-range missiles.

Among the weapons being tested in the exercises is the “Dezful” surface-to-air missile system, which is an upgraded version of the Russian-made “TOR M1” system. The system can launch up to two missiles simultaneously from mobile launch vehicles and is designed to shoot down aircraft or ballistic missiles.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesman Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini said earlier that there would also be an electronic warfare dimension in the exercises.