'Hands on trigger': Iran ready to counter any threat

“Iran is ready for any threat, the hands of our armed forces are on the trigger, and if the enemies make the slightest mistake, the armed forces will respond firmly,” Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri said on Tuesday on the sidelines of Army’s large-scale drone exercise.

He described the achievements of the four branches of the Iranian Army as “highly valuable” and said the armed forces are reaching cutting-edge technologies in different aspects, including in the field of UAVs, to boost the country’s might against any threat.

"The drone drill of the Army, as well as the numerous exercises that have taken place in the Persian Gulf in recent days and will take place in the coming days, show the full readiness of the Armed Forces to face any threat to our country's security and defense."

General Bagheri rebuked the recent movements by the US terrorist forces in the region that are aimed to increase tensions, saying that, the current drill is one of the many moves to demonstrate the full readiness of the armed forces to defend the country's land, air, sea and national security borders.

Iran’s Army has launched a large-scale drill involving hundreds of combat drones belonging to the Ground, Navy and Air Defense Forces.

The two-day exercise, which began on Tuesday, is taking place in the northern province of Semnan.

Iran has taken great strides seeking to attain self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and defense systems in the face of decades-long sanctions and arms embargoes on the country.

The Islamic Republic produces a wide variety of advanced weapons systems and equipment based on its own technological capabilities.