In between heavy emphasis on drone advancements and diplomatic gambits on uranium enrichment, Iranian officials also used this year’s annual National Army Day to show off a variety of more familiar weapons and to level more routine threats against the West.

Iranian army chief of staff Gen. Hasan Firouzabadi declared that if Israel did “anything wrong” Iran would ensure that “there will be no Israel left on the world’s political map.” A website associated with Hezbollah today quoted Iranian general Atallah Salehi for saying that “the Iranian army is prepared to beat the Zionist entity.”

General Majid Bokaei, Iran’s deputy defence minister, bragged about new anti-ship missiles that he said will “completely destroy[] the target vessel or warship.” Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier General Amir Qiumars Heydari unveiled various achievements including “new infantry fighting vehicles.”

And so on.

Gallery:

[Photo: MEHR News Agency]