Iran has practiced countermeasures against a US aircraft carrier during its annual large-scale aerial and naval drills in the Persian Gulf and the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, the country's Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday
TEHRAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2020) Iran has practiced countermeasures against a US aircraft carrier during its annual large-scale aerial and naval drills in the Persian Gulf and the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, the country's Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.
According to the news agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran has practiced both offensive and defensive missions during the final phase of the exercises � code-named Payambar-e Azam 14 or the Great Prophet 14 � which involve the navy and air forces and kicked off earlier on Tuesday. The process is being monitored by Iran's domestically-produced Noor satellite, which was successfully launched into space in April.
The news agency also reported that several units from the IRGC's Navy and Aerospace Division were participating in the maneuvers, featuring missiles, vessels, drones and radars, with the IRGC forces conducting missile, drone and mine-planting operations against mock enemy targets.
The drills are taking place against the backdrop of a fresh escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States over the interception of an Iranian passenger liner by US air forces when crossing Syria's airspace last week. According to Tehran, the Mahan Air passenger plane was intercepted by two US fighter jets when flying above an area in Syria that accommodates US troops while en route from Tehran to Beirut. The airline company said that the incident took place at a time when passengers were already allowed to unbuckle their seat belts, adding that many of them sustained injuries when the captain had to abruptly lower altitude after receiving an alert warning of a possible collision.
The US Central Command, in turn, claimed there was only one F-15 jet performing a routine inspection to ensure the safety of the Syrian-based US bases. The US military has insisted that the jet conducted the maneuver at a safe distance of some 3,300 feet and in line with international standards after identifying the aircraft as a passenger carrier.
