Iran Announces Military Drills to Amid Regional Tensions

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nassirzadeh announced surprise military drills on Saturday, aiming to demonstrate the country's continued military strength despite recent setbacks.

The announcement comes in the wake of significant blows to Iran’s defense systems from Israeli strikes and the loss of Syria to rebel forces-one of the Islamic Republic's biggest military challenges to date, The Caspian Post reports, citing Iranian media.

"You will see that our power has not diminished, contrary to what the enemy claims in its psychological warfare, but has actually increased," Nassirzadeh said.

"Today, some deliberately and others inadvertently present analyses suggesting the weakening of resistance," he added.

"I believe these individuals fail to grasp the essence of resistance, which is an ideology," Nassirzadeh added, referring to the strength of Iran's allied groups in the region despite the setbacks.

In October 26 retaliatory strikes again Iran, Israel took out nearly all of Iran’s air defense system, according to Western officials including the UK's Chief of Defense Staff.

Israel has decimated Hamas infrastructure in Gaza, assassinated many of its leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, and targeted Hezbollah’s commanders after killing successive leaders of the Lebanese group.

Notwithstanding, Iranian officials including the country's ultimate military decision maker, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described the conflict as a victory.