Sacred Defense Parade 2015 - Tehran

Iran media imagery of the Sacred Defense Parade held in Tehran on 22SEP15, commemorating the onset of the Iran-Iraq War that took place 35 years ago.

IRGC-ASF Ghadr-H ("Intensity-H) medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), using TEL variant with canted trailer mounting arm and four rearward compartments.

IRGC-ASF Ghadr-H ("Intensity-H) medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), using TEL variant with straight trailer mounting arm and three rearward compartments.

IRGC-N Khalij Fars (“Persian Gulf”) anti-ship ballistic missile on launch control vehicle

IRGC-N Qader ("Able") / Noor ("Light") coastal defense cruise missile (CDCM) launcher vehicle

Zelzal-1 ("Earthquake-1")  heavy artillery rocket using launcher vehicle based on Mercedes-Benz 2631 Actros series platform.

NEZAJA Naze'at 10-H artillery rocket using using launcher vehicle based on Mercedes-Benz 2624 platform

IRGC-ASF 3rd Khordad ("Third of Khordad") TELAR equipped with Taer-2 ("Bird") type missiles

Note: The Third of Khordad refers to the date Khorramshar was liberated from Baathist-Iraqi military occupation during the Iran-Iraq War.

IRGC-ASF Tabas TELAR with Taer-2 ("Bird") type missiles

Note: Tabas is the historical site and Iranian military operation ("amaliat tabas") against the failed Operation Eagle Claw rescue mission of 1980.

IRIADF 5Yu24M transporter/transloader carrying an S-200VE/SA-5 Gammon 5V28 round

IRIADF 5T53M type transport containers, 5V28 type missile of S-200 type SAM system

IRGC Kupol 9K331M1 TLAR, Tor M1 (NATO: SA-15C Gauntlet) self-propelled surface-to-air missile (SAM) system

IRIADF Mersad ("Ambush") air defense system Ghader self-propelled SAM vehicle on Mercedes-Benz 2624 6x6 truck platform, with three Shahin ("Hawk") or Shalamche missiles.

Note: the town of Shalamche was one of the main sites of invasion into Iran during the Baathist-Iraqi launching of Iran-Iraq War.

IRIADF Mersad ("Ambush") air defense system Shalamche missiles and M192 type launcher, transported on Mercedes-Benz 2624 6x6 truck platform.

IRIADF MIM-23 HAWK type surface-to-air missile transport canisters

IRIADF Rapier surface-to-air missile system towed launcher

IRIADF Sepehr tactical vehicle equipped with top-mounted ZU-23-2 "Sergey" 23 mm anti- aircraft twin-barreled autocannon

IRGC-GF T-72S main battle tank, of a type recently provided to Iraq military forces in the war against ISIL

NEZAJA FV4204 Chieftain Mk 5 ARV Armored Recovery Vehicle

NEZAJA FV4205 Chieftain Mk 5 AVLB Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge

NEZAJA Fajr-5 ("Dawn-5") artillery rocket launcher vehicle based on Mercedes-Benz 2624 6x6 truck platform

IRGC-N Kashdom IV class inshore patrol craft fitted with AShM box launchers

IRGC-N FB RIB-33 inshore patrol craft (PBF) fitted with 107 mm MLR

IRGC-N catamaran craft inshore patrol boat (PBF)

IRGC-N Aviation HESA Bavar 2 ("Belief 2") ground effect vehicle, serial SN-3115

IRIAF Qassed ("Messenger") type electro-optically guided 2000 lb bomb

IRIAF "Cruise Missile" land attack cruise missile (LACM)

Nasr AGM variant and Fakur-90 AAM

IRIAF Asre-67 air-to-ground missile

NEZAJA special ground forces equipped with Misagh ("Covenant") type MANPADS, aboard Banihashem ATV 500s

NEZAJA special ground forces equipped with 9M113 Konkurs (“Contest”) anti-tank guided missile systems

NEZAJA Toyota Land Cruiser (J70) fitted with Moharram 6-barrel 12.7 mm Gatling-type machine gun

Arab-Iranian Tribal Basij members from Khuzestan province

Baluch-Iranian Tribal Basij members from Sistan and Baluchistan province

Qashqai-Iranian Tribal Basij members from southern or central Iran

Front row, left to right: Major General Ataollah Salehi, Major General Seyed Hassan Firuzabadi, President Hassan Rouhani, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan and Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari.

Foreign military observers present at Sacred Defense Parade 2015 in Tehran

IRIB VIDEOS:

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency, Majid Haghdoust and Hossein Razaqnejad at Mehr News Agency, Meghdad Madadi at Tasnim News Agency, Mohammad Hossein Velayati at Fars News Agency

Iran Military Chief Asks Iranian Parliament Not to Approve JCPOA

Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces General Hassan Firouzabadi said in Tehran that the Majlis, the Iranian parliament, should not give its approval to the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. Gen. Firouzabadi said Majlis “should not make the JCPOA a binding legal document for Iran.”

Firouzabadi said that Iran’s armed forces are profoundly concerned about the possible impacts of the JCPOA and the (UN Security Council) resolution on Iran’s defense capabilities, and about the American misinterpretation of the text. (Fars New Agency/Press TV, 9 August)

Firouzabadi added that there are positive points in JCPOA, but he did not want the agreement become a binding commitment by Iran through parliamentary approval.

File photo: Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces General Hassan Firouzabadi (Press TV)

Firouzabadi Congratulates Khamenei on Lausanne Success

Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces General Hassan Firouzabadi today send a congratulatory message to the country’s supreme leader on the nuclear agreement reached in Lausanne, Tasnim News Agency reported.

Firouzabadi thanked the supreme leader for his guidelines to the negotiating team and also thanked Rouhani and Zarif for asserting "the inalienable rights of the Islamic Republic to peaceful nuclear energy."

“I am honored to thank you for offering guidelines which have brought our nation dignity and resistance,” Gen. Firouzabadi said in his message to Khamenei. (Tasnim, 5 April)

Photo credit: Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces General Hassan Firouzabadi (Tasnim) 

Najjar named as Maj. Gen. Firouzabadi's top advisor

Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, former IRI minister of interior

 According to Mehr News Agency:

Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, issued a decree on Sunday appointing Mostafa Mohammad Najjar as his top advisor.

Mohammad Najjar, a veteran of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, served as interior and defense minister in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s first and second administrations from 2005 to 2013.

Interesting to see if Najjar puts back on his IRGC uniform with brigadier general's shoulder boards, or retains civvies.

Iran's military perspectives to a potential U.S.-led attack on Syria (2)

Remarks made over the course of the past two days by Iran's defense establishment

Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces

"Any new military operation could prove to be a disaster not only for the region but also for humanity ...and only the Zionists would benefit from that." [Source: Tasnim News Agency]

SL Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Commander-in-Chief IRI Armed Forces

 “If such a [potential attack on Syria] takes place, the Americans will surely suffer losses just like [their] interferences in Iraq and Afghanistan,” [Source: Tasnim News Agency]

 ”Trans-regional and foreign powers’ intervention in [Syria] will result in nothing but igniting conflagration, and will also increase those nations’ aversion to such.”  [Source: Tasnim News Agency]

  

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, IRGC Commander

 “Despite their bitter experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans will complete their consecutive failures, and experience the most shameful historic defeat if they conduct military action against Syria.” [Source: Tasnim News Agency]

 “Syria will turn into a more dangerous and deadly battlefield than Vietnam War, moreover, Syria will become [another] Vietnam for the US.” [Source: Tasnim News Agency]

File photos: Tasnim News Agency

Iran Military Not Present in Syria – Chief of General Staff

Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi said today "Iran has no military presence in Syria." (Fars News Agency/Press TV, 8 March)

Firouzabadi also said most of rebels in Syria are either "hired or invited" from various Arab countries "to fight under the al-Qaeda flag." 

Gen. Firouzabadi did not explain the presence of an Iranian Quds Force general officer in Syria when he was killed in an apparent Israeli air raid, or the presence of Quds Force officers among a group of 48 Iranians taken hostage by the rebel last August, who were later released. Firouzabadi also did not qualify his comments, such as by saying there were no combat troops in Syria. He announced categorically that there was no military presence there.

File photo: Chief of General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi (IRNA)

Khamenei Upset that Some Does Not Take Whatever He Says as Orders

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Reports

Iranian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi said today that during his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader was upset that some does not take whatever he says as orders. Following is the English translation of Gen. Firouzabadi’s recollection of what was said in the meeting:

“Ayatollah Khamenei said he ‘was dismayed when he hears some people refer to whatever he says as (Leader’s) remarks. What is this? I order; I don’t talk unless I am issuing orders.’ We at the General Staff take (Leader’s) remarks as orders and implement them.” (Mehr News Agency, 7 March)

To read Mehr report (in Farsi), please click here.

Note: This is amazing! Even Khomeini, and before him the Shah, did not consider whatever they say as “orders.” This is actually very disturbing.

Photo credit: Iranian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi (mehr News Agency)