Daily Mail on Iranian military drills and nuclear programme

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Iran kicks off massive Gulf military drills, reports Daily Mail. Iran launched extensive military drills on Thursday, local media reported, in a show of strength stretching several hundred kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Aden. The exercises are set to last six days and involve ballistic missile and drone testing, according to military officials. Close to 13,000 personnel will take part in the drills, which will be the first time Iran has organised military manuevers so far from its coastline.

"One of the aims of these manoeuvres is to increase our defensive capability... and to transfer this experience to young" personnel, army chief general Abdolrahim Moussavi told state television. Iran's navy has boosted its international presence over the past few years, in particular to help guard commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden from pirate attacks.

The article in the Daily Mail is called  “Iran warns West to keep expectations realistic on nuclear compromise” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned Western powers to curb their demands on limiting his country's nuclear activities in order to guarantee a landmark settlement, which he said was "within reach".

"I am confident that a comprehensive agreement is within reach," he wrote, according to the Mehr news agency. "But we will firmly resist any humiliating illegitimate demands." Zarif said Iran's goal was "a long-term comprehensive agreement guaranteeing its right to an exclusively peaceful nuclear programme in return for full removal of all sanctions."

Iran says its programme is peaceful but the West fears it may lead to developing nuclear weapons. Iran and the P5+1 failed for the second time last month to meet deadline for ending the stand-off and extended the preliminary accord until June 30.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week Iran had continued to meet commitments under an interim nuclear agreement with six world powers, despite failure to make "any further advances" on activities at two enrichment facilities and an unfinished heavy water reactor

France and Britain, however, said around the same time that Iran had not demonstrated sufficient flexibility in the nuclear talks. Western officials say Iran has not compromised on major sticking points, including the size and scope of its future uranium enrichment program and the speed of ending sanctions.