Iranian Armed Forces Kick Off Drills along Southern Coastal Strip

In a show of force amid heightened regional tensions, the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched on January 18 a major air defense exercise on the country’s entire southern coastline.

The drills span from the city of Abadan on the Persian Gulf to Chabahar on the Sea of Oman.

Brigadier General Qader Rahimzadeh, commander of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Base, said the exercise would encompass "combatting enemy aircraft" and "guarding sensitive and vital centers like refineries, nuclear power plants and ports."

Earlier this week, the IRGC launched deadly airstrikes in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan, stroking tensions in the region.

Pakistan responded by carrying out strikes on Iranian soil. It also recalled its ambassador from Iran and blocked Tehran's envoy -- currently in Iran -- from returning to the country in protest of the Iranian attack.