The Iranian Navy launched military drills, code-named Lasting Security and Authority 96, in the Caspian Sea.
The five-day drills were launched in an area of more than 88,000 square kilometers across the sea on Sunday.
Commander of the Navy’s Northern Fleet Captain Ahmad-Reza Baqeri said the drills feature five stages. The first stage, which began four months ago, comprised scheduling and planning.
During the drills, naval forces practice battles with mock enemy forces, perform calculated warfare tactics as well as joint operations enlisting vessels, aircraft, coastal and seaborne operational units and logistical teams
"As before, our message in performing the exercise is that of peace and friendship under the aegis of authority and capability in the Caspian Sea," PressTV cited Baqeri as saying.
According to the Northern Fleet, the main goal pursued by staging the drills is to show the armed forces’ preparedness to establish lasting security in the strategic waters and to cooperate with neighbors towards the enhancement of stability in the waterways.
