Rouhani: Iranian armed forces main contributor to regional stability

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran's powerful armed forces guarantee regional peace and stability. "The Islamic Republic of Iran's Armed Forces are the cause of stability in the region and Iran is no threat to the neighbors and the other regional states; actually those who have ignored all international rules and regulations are threatening the region," Rouhani said, addressing the Iranian Armed Forces during the annual military parades staged to mark the start of the Week of Sacred Defense, commemorating Iranians' sacrifices during the 8 years of Iraqi imposed war on Iran in 1980s. Reminding the fact that Iran has never initiated a war against another country, he said, "The Islamic Republic's Armed Forces are powerful, but their power is deterrent and defensive." Rouhani underlined Iran's opposition to war, and said, "We consider ourselves as the victims of war, aggression and its damaging effects and aftermaths." At the parades, the Iranian Armed Forces displayed the country's latest home-made military tools, weapons and equipments, including tactical troposcatter communications system as well as optimized Sky Guard and high-altitude S-200 missile systems, during the massive annual military parades which started in Tehran on Sunday morning. The ceremony took place at the mausoleum of the Founder of the Islamic Republic, the Late Imam Khomeini, in Southern Tehran. During the parades, the Iranian armed forces displayed the tactical troposcatter system which is an advanced home-made communications system unveiled by Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli earlier this month. Also, Nebo tactical radar system, Kasta surveillance radars, Matla' al-Fajr local radar system, national radar, a model of Shahab (Meteor) cosmic radar, a model of Samen radar, optimized Sky Guard radar system, high-altitude S-200 missile system, home-made Mersad missile system armed with indigenous Shahin (Eagle) missiles, mobilized Hag missile system, home-made mid-altitude Ya Zahra 3 missile system, and the low-altitude Rapier missile system were among the other weapons and military equipment which went on display on Sunday. The Iranian Armed Forces will also display Saafaat electro-optic tracking system, mobile 35 and 23 mm cannons, mobile tactical communications vehicle, vehicle equipped with chemical decontamination system, DZ vehicle and communication system, Kheybar tactical vehicle, Same' van built by the air defense base and central communication shelter manufactured by Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base in tomorrow's parades. Various units of the Islamic Republic Army, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Basij (volunteer) forces and the Islamic Republic of Iran's Law Enforcement Police are present in the military parades in downtown Tehran to commemorate the start of the Week of Sacred Defense. The Iranian Armed Forces have recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircrafts, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills. Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran's wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor, specially at a time of heightened threats by Israel and its western allies.