Iran Army Trains for Electronic Warfare, Simulates Air Attacks

Iranian army commander Abdolrahim Mousavi and General Habibollah Sayyari inaugurate the electronic warfare exercises. (Iranian state TV)
Iranian army commander Abdolrahim Mousavi and General Habibollah Sayyari inaugurate the electronic warfare exercises. (Iranian state TV)
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Iran Army Trains for Electronic Warfare, Simulates Air Attacks

Iranian army commander Abdolrahim Mousavi and General Habibollah Sayyari inaugurate the electronic warfare exercises. (Iranian state TV)
Iranian army commander Abdolrahim Mousavi and General Habibollah Sayyari inaugurate the electronic warfare exercises. (Iranian state TV)

The Iranian army kicked off electronic warfare drills, simulating combat conditions and air attacks by fighter jets, drones, and helicopters.

Iranian media showed video footage of Iranian army commander-in-chief Abdolrahim Mousavi and deputy chief for coordination General Habibollah Sayyari at the command center of the electronic warfare drills.

They were seen communicating with army commanders via a television network before the launch of the drills, codenamed “Shield of the State’s Guardians.”

The Army's Public Relations Department said the exercises include electronic support operations for fighter jets and drones and testing electronic defense systems against drones.

Reuters quoted state television as saying that units of the naval, ground, and air forces, as well as air defenses, participated in the exercises in the largely desert central region in central Iran.

The drills featured locally-made radars, drones, manned and unmanned combat jets, micro aerial vehicles, and other military equipment.

State-run English Press TV quoted Sayyari as saying the army has the appropriate infrastructure and has achieved favorable results in countering threats in today’s world and predicting future threats in this sensitive and complicated arena.

Iran has developed a large domestic arms industry in the face of international sanctions and embargoes that bar it from importing many weapons.

Western military analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its weapons capabilities.

On Tuesday, Tehran announced the manufacture of an advanced, domestically-made drone called “Mohajer-10,” with an enhanced range and flight duration, with a greater payload-carrying capacity.

The United States accuses Iran of providing Russia with the Mohajer-6 drones, among other drones, since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine, which Tehran denies.



Israeli Defense Chief Says Progress Made on Munitions Supply in US Talks

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) observe the playing of the national anthem of Israel by a US military band during an honor cordon at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 25 June 2024. (EPA)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) observe the playing of the national anthem of Israel by a US military band during an honor cordon at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 25 June 2024. (EPA)
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Israeli Defense Chief Says Progress Made on Munitions Supply in US Talks

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) observe the playing of the national anthem of Israel by a US military band during an honor cordon at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 25 June 2024. (EPA)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) observe the playing of the national anthem of Israel by a US military band during an honor cordon at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 25 June 2024. (EPA)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday there had been significant progress made addressing the issue of US munitions supply to Israel during his meetings with Biden administration officials in Washington this week.

Gallant was wrapping up a visit to discuss the next phase of the Gaza war against Hamas, escalating hostilities with Hezbollah fighters on the border with Lebanon that have spurred fears of a wider conflict and shared US-Israeli concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.

He has also sought to cool tensions between the US and close ally Israel following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that Washington was withholding weapons, prompting US officials to express disappointment and confusion over the Israeli leader’s remarks.

"During the meetings we made significant progress, obstacles were removed and bottlenecks were addressed, in order to advance a variety of issues, and more specifically the topic of force build-up and munition supply that we must bring to the State of Israel," Gallant said in a statement.

Gallant's remarks came after a meeting on Wednesday with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

In a rare account of normally private diplomatic conversations, Netanyahu said earlier this month that he told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it was "inconceivable" that in the past few months Washington was withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.

The United States in May paused a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs due to concern over the impact they could have in densely populated areas in Gaza but Israel was still due to get billions of dollars worth of US weaponry.

It was not immediately known whether Gallant's talk of progress on munitions indicated the US was ready to lift that pause.

Gallant also discussed with Sullivan "Israel's commitment to ensuring the safe return of Israeli communities to their homes in the north by changing the security reality in the area," the Israeli defense chief's office said.

Gallant on Tuesday met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said the US was working urgently in pursuit of a diplomatic agreement to calm the situation on the Israel-Lebanon border between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

An exchange of shelling and missile strikes has led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border, and escalation has sparked fears of an all-out war in the area.

Gallant’s talks in Washington also focused on Iran, Israel’s regional arch-foe. He discussed with Sullivan the importance of cooperation "vis-a-vis Iranian aggression and its nuclear ambitions," Gallant's office said.

Iran says its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.