Iran military exercises 'aim to convey message' to hostile powers - expert

The military exercises in Iran have two basic components: to test the domestically manufactured weaponry, and to convey a specific message to regional and extra-regional powers with hostile attitudes to the Islamic Republic, according to Vardan Voskanyan, an expert in Iranian studies.

"The Iranians, obviously, test their military equipment with the help of those drills, as they have made a considerable progress in military industries, i.e. - [in the manufacturing of] UAVs, rocket systems, as well as naval armament. Also given the fact that the outgoing US president is undertaking actions against the Iranian side - in term of both propaganda and military presence (by exerting pressure in the Persian Gulf region) - the Iranian are now taking retaliatory steps to demonstrate their potential in case of a possible confrontation with the adversary, thereby attempting to prevent military clashes," he said in an interview with Tert.am.

Addressing Iran's position on the expected changes after the opening of the communication routes, Voskanyan admitted the existing concerns among the neighboring country's experts and analyst.

Voskanyan said that to the best of his knowledge, the Iranians are now collaborating with Russia to obtain "extra information" and plan their future actions. In his words, the Iranians treat Armenia as a strategic gateway to the north, i.e. - the Black Sea region, attaching an extreme importance to pursuing national interests and guaranteeing security.  

"That's of a major importance to the Iranians. But on the other hand, the Iranians are trying to also prevent the processes around Meghri. They are not in Iran's interests as they may block Iran's alternative gateway to the Black Sea region through Armenia's territory. The possibility of an alternative corridor is now therefore being considered by experts. That's the corridor opening the gateway to Armenia through the Nakhichevan Automatons Republic, particularly the section in the Sadarak region where the borders of Iran, Turkey and Nakhichevan intersect. Hence they are now trying to push ahead with such an alternative route, but that's still on the expert level only," he commented.  

Voskanyan said he is also aware of ongoing negotiation processes, particularly a telephone conversation between the Iranian and Armenian foreign ministers. But he also pointed out to a "lower level of trust" in Armenia as a subject of international law, predicting the likelihood of future negotiations with a "third party".