Iran starts military exercises in readiness for 'mad enemy'

IRAN yesterday launched a series of large-scale military exercises as a senior commander said the armed forces were prepared for any action by Israel.

Iran has denied Israeli accusations that it is arming and training Hezbollah fighters but has also declared Hezbollah victorious in its battle against the Jewish state.

Ataollah Salehi, commander-in-chief of Iran's army, said: "The enemy has gone mad facing Hezbollah's strength and we should keep ourselves prepared given the history we have from our mad enemy."

The exercise is expected to take place in 14 of the country's 30 provinces and could last up to five weeks.

The first stage of the manoeuvres began with air strikes in the south-eastern province of Sistan va Baluchistan, the report said.

The Islamic republic is concerned about the US military presence in neighbouring Iraq and Afghanistan and Israel's threats to destroy its nuclear facilities.

The military exercise, involving 12 infantry regiments, is called The Blow of Zolfaghar, in reference to a sword that belonged to Imam Ali, one of the most revered figures of Islam for Shi'ite Muslims. A majority of Iran's 70 million people are Shi'ite.

Iran has routinely held war games over the past two decades to improve its combat readiness and test locally made equipment.

Meanwhile, Egypt's president has warned that the US should refrain from taking military action against Iran because it would create instability not just in the Middle East but across the globe.

The United Nations Security Council has demanded Iran suspend uranium enrichment by the end of the month after Tehran failed to persuade the international community its atomic scientists were working on power stations, not bombs. Washington has declined to rule out military strikes.

"The conflict between the United States and Iran must be resolved through diplomatic channels and direct dialogue, because any strike on Iran means the end of stability in the region and the world," Mubarak said in an interview in Egypt's Akhbar al-Youm newspaper.

Iran has set itself a deadline of Tuesday to respond to an offer of economic incentives designed to persuade it to comply with the suspension demand.

Egypt has not had full diplomatic relations with Tehran in more than 25 years and high-level contacts are rare, usually limited to international meetings. But Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki came to Egypt last week for talks with Mubarak on the conflict in Lebanon and other regional issues.

In April, Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit received a telephone call from Mottaki on the nuclear issue, and the ministers agreed to stay in touch.

"Iran is an important country in the region, and relations between countries are governed by pacts and treaties and agreements that prohibit interference in any internal matters of the countries," Mubarak said in the interview.

Egypt, one of 35 countries on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says it is against any nuclear weapons in the Middle East, but wants the dispute resolved peacefully. Relations between Egypt and Iran were severed when Cairo gave refuge to the deposed Shah of Iran, who died in Egypt.

Over the years, the Egyptian government has repeatedly accused Iran of supporting underground Islamist groups.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insists that nuclear power is Iran's right and "no one will stop us" developing the country.