Iran starts drills to test military units' reaction in case of attackNovember 20, 2011 - 17:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's military is going ahead with four days of war games despite rising criticism triggered by the country's nuclear program. State-run media said the military exercises are being conducted in eastern Iran near the border with Afghanistan. It appears that the exercises began Saturday, Nov 19. The official Press TV said the initial phase of the drills was meant to test the ability of military units to react and deploy in case of an attack. Both Israel and the United States have refused to rule out the use of military force to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. Israeli officials have also been hinting Israel may take action soon if Western sanctions fail to dissuade Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently denied allegations its nuclear program is being used for anything other than peaceful purposes, VOA News reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |