Commander of Iran's Army Major General Ataollah Salehi has brushed off the presence of trans-regional warships in the Persian Gulf as insignificant, stressing that the Iranian Armed Forces remain prepared in the face of threats.

“The presence of trans-regional warships in the Persian Gulf is not very important to us from a military point of view,” Major General Salehi said  on the sidelines of the Army Day ceremony in Tehran.

The army chief pointed out that the extra-regional forces are mostly stationed at their bases in some of the Persian Gulf littoral states, while fewer numbers of them are deployed aboard the warships.

Trans-regional forces, especially those who view our country and revolution with enmity, must know that Iran's Islamic establishment always has a “prepared arm”, added the Iranian commander.

Referring to numerous drills staged by the Iranian forces during the past year, Salehi said through these maneuvers, Iran's armed forces showed the world that they are ready to defend the country.

Salehi also declared Iran's preparedness to provide maritime security in the Persian Gulf and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean by cooperating with regional countries.

On Tuesday, Iran’s Army displayed its latest indigenous military hardware including surface-to-surface missiles, drones and air defense systems during a ceremony marking the establishment of this force.

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News ID 181710