Iran to launch home-built missiles

An Iranian naval commander says the country's naval forces will launch various types of home-built surface-to-air missiles on the second day of the '[fire] power phase' of the ongoing Velayat 90 military drills. Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced on Sunday that in the course of today and tomorrow's maneuvers, a variety of domestically-manufactured missiles, including torpedoes, surface-to-surface, coast-to-sea and shoulder-launched missiles, would be launched at mock enemy targets. The tactical phase of the Velayat 90 exercises ended Friday night and its fire power phase, launched early on Saturday, will continue until Monday. On the seventh day of the drills that commenced on December 24, naval forces performed special heliborne operations and conducted free-fall parachute jumps from SH helicopters. Iran's ongoing naval maneuvers cover an area stretching from the east of Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden. The massive military exercise takes place in line with a recent directive by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei, instructing Iranian armed forces to maintain total readiness to defend the nation against any potential threats. Over the past years, Iran has made important breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems. The country has repeatedly made clear that its military might is merely based on the nation's defense doctrine of deterrence and poses no threat to other countries.