The following are the reports on the Zarbat-e Zolfaqar military exercises broadcast on West Azerbayjan TV between 20-23 August (emphasis added):

On 20 Aug, West Azerbayjan TV carries the following report in its 2000 GMT newscast:

“Chemical, biological, and nuclear defense exercises were held in Orumiyeh. The exercises started this morning in Orumiyeh with the participation of units deployed in the operation area northwest of the country with the objective of elevating the combat capability, implementing the strategy of enemy deterrence, and [displaying] their readiness to carry out the Zarbat-e Zolfaqar [Blow of Zolfaqar] exercises in Orumiyeh.

“The units participating in these exercises created operational conditions and proceeded with the identification and cleaning up of contaminated areas, the collection and analysis of samples, the examination of the chemical agents in the area, and the cleaning up of contaminated equipment.”

The following was reported in the TV’s 2000 GMT newscast on 21 August:

“The commander of Orumiyeh’s 64th Infantry Division said in an interview with a Central News Unit correspondent in Orumiyeh: The military exercises in West Azerbayjan Province will begin tomorrow, simultaneously with exercises in the two provinces of East Azerbayjan and Kordestan, and will continue for three days in the border areas in the south of the province.

“Commander Hoseyn Shokuhi noted that in these military exercises, infantry, commando, mechanized, communication, artillery, and engineering units will display their capability by using domestically-manufactured weapons, and said: Air (?operations) using helicopters and aircraft, launching missiles at air targets, and implementing the principles and methods of electronic warfare are among the most important programs of these military exercises.

“In these military exercises, intelligent equipment manufactured in our country will be tested.”

The following report by West Azerbayjan TV’s correspondent Firuzbakht, who is reporting from Piranshahr, is broadcast in the 1315 GMT newscast on 22 August:

“The Zarbat-e Zolfaqar military exercises were held in West Azerbayjan.

“[Begin recording of unidentified officer] Begin exercises one, two, and three with the code-name Ya Mohammad, Ya Mohammad, Ya Mohammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and upon his family.

“[Correspondent Firuzbakht] In part of the military exercises, which were carried out simultaneously in 10 provinces of the country with the participation of combatants from the 25th Independent Elite Commando Brigade of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces in the general area of Piranshahr, various units of the brigade used new war techniques and repulsed the imaginary enemy’s extensive attack.

“In the Zarbat-e Zolfaqar military exercises in West Azerbayjan, in which the imaginary enemy was attempting an airborne operation behind our forces, the personnel of the 25th Independent Commando Brigade of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces thwarted the attack with anti-airborne operations.

“In these exercises, the imaginary enemy attempted helibon operations with the objective of upsetting the organization of the Armed Forces’ vehicle units. However, the enemy forces were repulsed and left the area thanks to the Islamic combatants’ alertness and anti-helibon operations by the Islamic combatants.

“The testing of new and modern weapons, the carrying out of electronic warfare, and the testing of intelligent ordnance manufactured by our country were among the other programs of the military exercises in the general area of Piranshahr in West Azerbayjan.

“Col Mohsen Nabipur, Commander of the 25th Independent Elite Commando Brigade of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces, described the Zarbat-e Zolfaqar military exercises in West Azerbayjan as positive and said:

“[Nabipur] We achieved the pre-planned objectives of these military exercises. This was a training and a test for our personnel in layer-to-layer defense and war operations in hilly, mountainous, and desert areas, in anti-airborne and anti-helibon operations, as well as in the cleaning up of the mountainous area from the presence of the imaginary enemy.

“[Correspondent Firuzbakht] In these operations, various units of the 25th Independent Elite Commando Brigade of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces, participated in a parade and displayed their achievements, power, and combat capability.

“The military exercises were carried out with the objective of creating calm, assuring the Iranian nation that Islamic integrity is protected, conveying a message of peace and friendship to regional countries, and displaying the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military deterrence capability to the enemy.

“In a ceremony at the beginning of the military operations held in the presence of local officials, Naqadeh’s Friday Imam said: Today our country’s Armed Forces have come here, leaning on the teachings of the Holy Koran and the lessons taught by the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and armed with the weapon of faith and piety to selflessly defend Islamic integrity and the divine aspirations of the Islamic system. [end recording]”

On 23 Aug, West Azerbayjan TV reports the following in its 2000 GMT newscast:

“The Zarbat-e Zolfaqar military exercises display the power, synchronization, and high defense and deterrence capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces.

“Commander Babakhani of the Armed Forces’ Northwestern Operation Base elaborates on this:

“[Begin recording] [Commander Babakhani] The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces pursued many objectives in these military exercises. One of these objectives was to fulfill the orders of the esteemed Leader and General Commander of the Forces in relation to elevating and enhancing the combat capability and readiness of the Armed Forces. The other objective was to display the heroic Ground Forces’ capability and to create a control and command system in which commanders issue orders in times of crisis and see to it that these orders are carried out by the units.

“Another important objective is to test our country’s defense systems that have been manufactured by the Ministry of Defense industries and the Ground Forces’ Self-sufficiency Jihad.

“The Ground Forces’ units participating in the military exercise comprise 12 divisions in 16 provinces in the country’s northwestern country. The Ground Forces’ units under the command the Northwestern Operational Base comprise two divisions–the 21st Hamzeh Division and the 28th Kordestan Infantry Division–and the 25th Brigade of Independent Commandos.

“The Ground Forces displayed good systems. This will continue. The dear viewers also saw on their screens how medium-range missiles were launched successfully and hit predetermined targets. We have the Soleyman-e Nabi signal system that registers data from high up on the monitor screen and the units are able to see kilometers ahead in whichever area they want to see.

“We also have the air defense system and the shoulder-launching missiles. All our efforts in the northwestern area was to make conditions unsafe for the enemy, and we will do this with the shoulder-launching anti-air defense systems built by our dear ones in the Ministry of Defense or in the Self-sufficiency Jihad.

“Today is the fifth day of these military exercises, and efforts are focused mainly on testing new war methods. Tomorrow, on the sixth day, predetermined targets in Sistan va Baluchestan and in the sea will be fired at with missiles from far-away shores.

“The message conveyed by this military exercise to our martyr-nurturing and dear ummah in Iran is a message of security and calm saying that they can continue their everyday lives with peace of mind since their children in the Armed Forces, and especially in the heroic Ground Forces of the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces, are carrying out the military exercises.

“We have a message for the regional countries–a message of peace, friendship, and a peaceful life. And the message we have for arrogance is the message of deterrence.”

Source: Iran press review from BBC Monitoring in Persian 20 Aug 06