Iran launched military drills across half the country on Monday, warning it would act against aggressors less than a week after Washington accused Iranian warplanes of firing on a U.S. drone.
The maneuvers will take place this week across 850,000 square kilometers (330,000 square miles) of Iran's northeast, east, and southeast regions, Iranian media reported.
Some 8,000 elite and regular army troops will participate, backed by bombers and fighter planes, while missile, artillery and surveillance systems will be tested, various media said.
Played out against a backdrop of high tension between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, the 'Velayat-4' maneuvers will involve the biggest air drills the country has ever held, Iran's English-language Press TV reported.
"These drills convey a message of peace and security to regional countries," Shahrokh Shahram, the spokesman for the exercises, told the broadcaster on Monday. "At the same time they send out a strong warning to those threatening Iran."
Last week, the U.S. Pentagon said Iranian planes opened fire on an unarmed U.S. drone over international waters on November 1.
Iran said it had repelled "an enemy's unmanned aircraft" violating its airspace.
Comment: History repeats itself. At the end of 2008 Barack Obama was elected as president of the United States. Shortly afterwards Israel launched a brutal attack on Gaza under the name Operation Cast Lead. Now that the US elections are over, Netanyahu feels he has 'permission' to make as much mess as he pleases, and he pleases to make war to appear as a strong leader before the elections in January. Back in 2008-2009 Obama did not have what it takes to stand up to Israel, even while most of the rest of the world protested vigorously. Do not expect that he will behave differently this time.
To put things in perspective, please take the time to watch the documentary Tears of Gaza. See for yourself what an invasion looks like and what the price to pay is in human lives and suffering.