Iran exercises strait blockade in response to US deterrence
From September 10 to 12, Iran held a large-scale exercise code-named "Zolfarjal 99" in the waters surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. It not only performed sensitive subjects such as "strait containment", but also demonstrated part of Iranian-made weapons and equipment, triggering off the multi- injection. Foreign media commented that Iran’s high-profile military exercise was to test the military’s combat readiness under epidemic prevention and control, and on the other hand, it was also a strong response to the recent continuous US penetration of spoilers in Iran and the establishment of anti-Iranian “agents” in the Middle East.
"Protecting the safety of territorial waters and waterways"
The exercise area covered nearly 2 million square kilometers from the northern Indian Ocean to the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz. Initially, the Iraqi army focused on subjects such as anti-reconnaissance, electronic jamming, and rapid assembly and deployment of missile boat clusters. Subsequently, the three armed forces relied on shore-based missile and artillery units, sea-based fleets of ships and air power to exercise "strait containment and control", including target tracking, capture and local firefighting. The Iraqi army also conducted a "missile intensive attack" exercise. The participating platforms carried out shore-based artillery strikes, anti-ship cruise attacks, aerial raids, underwater torpedo launches, continuous rocket strikes, and drone attacks. Iran’s official website reported that through the exercise, the Iraqi military gradually "optimized the active defense strategy to protect the safety of Iran’s territorial waters and waterways." Russian media commented that the Iraqi army has always regarded missile artillery blockade as a "final stage assessment project." This year, it has used various methods of surface, underwater, shore and air to block all aspects, and the chain of command and chain of operations have become clearer.
The Iraqi side stated that during the three-day exercise, the Iraqi military relied on the domestically-made series of air defense and reconnaissance early warning systems to successfully rehearse the subject of "Do quick action against the enemies incoming cruise missiles " and to "search and drive away" a USA aircraft during the reconnaissance process. The human reconnaissance aircraft "tested the Iraqi army's reconnaissance and counter reconnaissance capabilities in the Persian Gulf."
At the same time, a batch of Iranian-made weapons and equipment such as Kadir-class submarines and "Simoge" UAVs also made high-profile appearances during the exercise. Kadir-class submarines are mainly responsible for patrolling the Persian Gulf and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. During the exercise, torpedoes were used to attack target ships and went to the northern Indian Ocean to test their "infiltration" capabilities. The "Simoge" UAV is known as "the crystallization of the Iraqi military's information technology in recent years." According to foreign media analysis, its technology partly borrowed from two "captured U.S. military drones."
"Respond to external threats"
General Saldari, the commander of the exercise, stated that the exercise was designed to "enhance Iran's military strength and respond to external threats."
Recently, the security situation around Iran is more complicated. The U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault fleet is deployed in the northern Indian Ocean. Nearly 10 ships of the "Nimitz" carrier group continue to patrol the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. Air Force has deployed hundreds of fighters at 5 air bases around Iraq and stationed F- for the first time. 22 fighters. Last month, the US military dispatched three B-2 bombers to "show the presence of frontier forces" in Diego Garcia and conduct joint training with aircraft carriers in the airspace of the Gulf of Oman.
At the geopolitical level, Iran is trapped in a siege. In the recent past, the United States has frequently deepened defense and diplomatic cooperation with Iran’s “enemies” such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, and increased containment, containment, and pressure through ally strategies. The United States has also promoted the European Union and other countries to increase sanctions against Iran, and countries such as Britain and France have also sent fleets of ships to the Middle East and Indian Ocean waters in the name of anti-terrorism and anti-piracy.
In addition, affected by economic sanctions and the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Iran's domestic situation is not optimistic. The United States has deliberately used the epidemic to stir up the sentiments of the Iranian people and create social chaos. According to reports, Iran has regarded the United States as an important national security threat. At this time, large-scale military exercises are organized to respond to internal and external security threats, but also to boost people’s hearts, deter the US alliance, and show determination to fight.
Increasing chaos in the region
In response to Iran’s military exercise, the US Navy quickly responded, saying that Iran’s exercise to block the strait was "coercion and intimidation." Some members of the US military also stated that the US military is fully capable of deploying more fleet forces to "control the Strait of Hormuz."
The response of the US military will undoubtedly promote the rolling escalation of the regional armament situation. According to the report, the U.S.-Iran confrontation exists on multiple levels, including the "proxy" war on the Syrian battlefield, the racial and religious conflicts between Israel and Iran, and Saudi Arabia and Iran, and various forms of intervention by foreign powers. The confrontation is upgraded to camp confrontation.
In fact, creating chaos in the Middle East is precisely the specific action strategy adopted by the United States under its consistent antagonism and hegemonic thinking. The United States is not concerned with regional stability or world peace, but how to maximize its benefits in a chaotic situation. Under such circumstances, terrorist forces such as the "Islamic State" may take the opportunity to "resurge", and risks such as intraregional epidemics and religious disputes will further escalate. The security situation in the Middle East is not optimistic.