Iran to stage missile maneuver

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) will start a three-day missile drill from Monday, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Division Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said on Sunday.

Iranian navy testfires a missile near the Strait of Hormuz on January 2, 2012.

The maneuver, dubbed "Great Prophet 7", will last for three days, said the report.

The surface-to-surface missile drill will be conducted by the aerospace division of the IRGC and will be staged in different parts of the country.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh told reporters Sunday that in the drill more than 100 hypothesized spots in the central desert area of the country will be targeted by various kinds of short-range, medium-range and long-range missiles.

The hypothesized targets are similar to the air bases of some countries, the commander said.

The aim of the maneuver is to maintain the combat readiness of IRGC personnel, he said.

The commander also warned against the potential Israeli attack on Sunday, saying that "if the Zionist regime (of Israel) makes a (wrong) move, they will give us an excuse to wipe them off the planet."

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, warned that Iran would revenge any enemy invasion with massive aggressive response.

"If we are attacked, we will retaliate with (a counter) attack . .. and we have even planned for multi-dimensional and massive attacks if necessary," Jazayeri said.

Jazzayeri underlined that security of Iran and its friends is of vital importance to Tehran, adding that, "in case this security is threatened, Iran will certainly show the necessary and a very serious reaction."

Also, Deputy Commander of the IRGC Ground Force for Operations, Brigadier General Morteza Miriyan, said "today all enemy bases are within the reach of our missiles. There was a time when they fought against us at the country's borders, but today we can fight them several thousand kilometers away."