Iran announced that it will keep dozens of combat and support units in advanced positions on its borders, in conjunction with reviewing its defense plans and strengthening its military fortifications. Iranian statements, along with repeated naval attacks, reflect Tehran's efforts to confirm its military readiness and ability to continue operations, at a time when the repercussions of the war are still casting a shadow over the region's security and global energy supplies.
In this regard, the Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi, announced the continued deployment of more than 50 combat and support units on the country’s borders, confirming their readiness to confront threats, and revealing measures to deal with the possibility of hostile forces entering Iranian territory.
Jahanshahi said, in an interview with Fars Agency, which was republished by Iranian media on Saturday, that the deployment of these forces began with the outbreak of the last war, and that the units are still in their positions. The forces include mobile brigades, rapid intervention formations, armored and mechanized units, in addition to artillery, engineering, missiles and drones.
He explained that the spread extends from northwest and west to southwest Iran, in addition to the eastern and southeastern regions and the coasts of Makran. He added that the transport of individuals, ammunition and equipment was carried out using heavy vehicles, and that the movements were carried out at night under the threat of enemy aircraft and drones, considering that these measures contributed to deterring any attempt to breach the border.
Plan to confront the incursion
The Commander of the Ground Forces said that the army carried out reconnaissance operations in various regions of the country to identify locations that might be used by enemy forces to land or advance inside Iranian territory, including abandoned airports, and developed plans to allocate units to deal with such scenarios.
He added that the deployed forces are continuing their missions despite the difficult climatic conditions, including temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, high humidity, and a lack of some capabilities, stressing their continued readiness to carry out operations.
As part of the preparations, Jahanshahi referred to reviewing operational plans and modifying the organizational and combat structure of the units, in addition to providing them with accurate and smart weapons capable of operating within interconnected networks, and developing individual training programs. He also talked about creating trenches, tunnels, firing positions, and defensive fortifications inside the camps, with the aim of reducing human losses and limiting the exposure of military equipment to targeting.
Military production continues
Speaking about the performance of the ground forces during the war, Jahanshahi said that his units carried out missile attacks and launched thousands of “Arch” drones towards American bases in the region and Israel, according to his account.
He added that the production of military equipment continued during the war and is still ongoing, considering that the units' capabilities and readiness have become higher than they were before the outbreak of fighting.
He acknowledged that a number of camps were subjected to attacks that led to the destruction of large areas of their buildings, but he said that the distribution of forces and the establishment of fortifications contributed to reducing losses, without providing figures on the extent of the damage or the number of deaths.
These statements come in the context of the Iranian military establishment's efforts to highlight its ability to maintain its readiness and continue military production despite the strikes that its facilities and sites were subjected to during the war.
Calls for reconstruction
In a related context, the Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Ali Abdullah, revealed that centers affiliated with the police command were subjected to attacks during the war, which resulted in the killing of a number of its members and damage to its headquarters and equipment.
On Saturday, Tasnim news agency quoted Abdullahi as saying that the United States and Israel were behind these attacks, without providing a specific death toll or the number of damaged facilities.
The military official called for accelerating the restoration of damaged sites and the rehabilitation of equipment, allowing police personnel to resume their duties in better conditions. He also praised the police leadership, governorate officials and specialized agencies, saying that they continued to manage security work despite the war conditions.
He added that, according to his account, cooperation between the armed forces, police, intelligence agencies, and residents contributed to maintaining internal security.
On the maritime front, the Revolutionary Guard announced on Friday that it had targeted the giant gas tanker NV Sunshine as it attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz through what it described as an “illegal route.” The Revolutionary Guard said, in a statement carried by Iranian official media, that its naval forces are implementing the orders of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and responding to what it described as the desire of the Iranian people to exercise sovereignty over the Strait.
Ships obtain permission
Tehran insists that ships must obtain its permission to use the route it prefers to cross the strategic waterway. But some ships are taking the risk of using an alternative route along the southern coast of the strait, near the Omani coast.
The Iranian announcement comes at a time when fears continue about the expansion of maritime risks, amid the disruption of navigation traffic and the emergence of alternative routes that ships are trying to use to avoid restrictions and threats.
In a separate incident, the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority reported that a ship had been hit by a projectile of unknown origin, causing a fire to break out on board, about 13 nautical miles, or approximately 24 kilometers, off the Red Island in the Emirates, to the southwest of the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident came days after a tanker was targeted off the coast of Qatar, approximately 500 kilometers west of the strait, in an indication of the widening scope of risks facing ships operating in the waters of the Gulf and its surrounding areas.
Ships in the Gulf or trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz have been subjected to repeated attacks since the outbreak of war with American and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, while Tehran continues to disrupt navigation in the Strait, despite the success of some ships in crossing.
In return, the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, and its forces repeatedly fired on ships linked to Tehran. American media also reported that there are military efforts to protect ships using the southern route of the Strait.
