Iran's Elite Guard to Hold 'Asymmetrical ' War Games

Above: Although the war games are ground based, the Revolutionary Guards also feature their own naval forces. Asymmetrical war refers to a stronger vs. weaker force, where the weaker force uses unconventional methods of war, such as guerilla warfare or attacks on the opponent's interests in various parts of the world.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards will launch their second war games in a month on Monday, just days ahead of a U.N. deadline regarding Iran's nuclear program.

The Revolutionary Guards will begin three days of ground maneuvers, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Sunday

"The guards will practice various kinds of fighting tactics including tactics of asymmetrical warfare," the report said without elaborating.

The exercises are to take place in 16 of Iran's 30 provinces, IRNA reported. Some 60,000 troops were expected to participate - in line with past exercises. The games were planned before the United Nations Security Council approved economic sanctions against Iran on Dec. 23.

In December, the council gave Iran 60 days to halt uranium enrichment, otherwise it will consider taking additional measures beyond the sanctions in place. Enrichment is necessary to produce fuel for nuclear reactors, but also to make nuclear weapons.

As tensions rise over Iran's nuclear standoff with the West, the United States and Iran have pursued an escalating series of military moves, with Washington sending more aircraft carriers to the region and Iran responding with more frequent maneuvers.

The Revolutionary Guards is an elite military corps with more than 200,000 members and its own naval and air forces. It is independent of the regular armed forces and controlled directly by the supreme leader. It oversees vital interests such as oil and natural gas installations and the nation's missile arsenal.

Read the rest at the Guardian

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