Iran Launches Major Two-Day Missile Drills

Iran has launched a two-day missile exercise called “Sustainable Power 1404” in the northern Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman, The Caspian Post reports, citing Iranian media.

This marks Iran’s first major military drill since the 12-day conflict with Israel in June, showcasing its naval and missile strength amid rising tensions in the region.

The deployment of surface and subsurface warships, air units, missile defense batteries, and electronic warfare brigades. Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Abbas Hassani told the ISNA news agency that precision-strike cruise missiles, such as the Nasir and Qadir, were used in the drills. “The exercise is for improved combat readiness, an improved command system, and reinforcement of deterrence,” he stated. The drills took place about a month after the “Casarex 2025 joint drill with Russia in the Caspian Sea. The frigate IRIS Sabalan and corvette IRIS Ganaveh successfully launched missiles at sea targets. Analysts believe the drill is a reaction to recent Israeli drills that simulated attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and a display of Tehran’s capability to recover from wartime losses. Iran maintains two separate naval forces: the conventional Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN), which is a part of the traditional army, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN). While both are responsible for defending Iranian interests at sea, their missions, capabilities, and areas of operation differ, according to a Defense News analysis.