US Blackmailing Regional States through Iran Pressures

"The US is after blackmailing the regional states through claims that it has imposed sanctions against Iran in their support; they (the US) seek to make the Zionist regime dominant over these miserable countries," Larijani said, addressing an open session of the parliament in Tehran on Sunday.

He referred to Iran's huge amounts of home-made weapons and military equipment displayed in different drills, and said this is not tolerable for the powers, specially the US, as it has for years plundered the regional states by inducing that they face Iran's danger and coaxing them into purchasing the US-made weapons.

His remarks came after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) displayed 21 ballistic missiles during the Saturday morning military parades in Tehran.

Various units of the Islamic Republic Army, the IRGC, Law Enforcement Police and Basij (volunteer) forces started nationwide parades in Tehran and other cities across the country on Saturday morning to mark the start of the Sacred Defense Week, commemorating Iranians' sacrifices during the 8 years of the Iraqi imposed war on Iran in 1980s.

In Tehran, the ceremony took place at the mausoleum of the Founder of the Islamic Republic, the Late Imam Khomeini, South of the capital.

During the parades in Tehran, the IRGC displayed 21 of its ballistic missiles, including 4 Zolfaqar missiles, 1 Khorramshahr missile, 4 Qiam missiles, 2 Qadr F missiles, 2 Qadr H missiles, 4 Emad missiles and 4 Sejjil missiles.

Also in military parades in Bandar Abbas city in Southern Iran, 9 F-4 and 4 Mirage fighter jets of the Iranian Army as well as 4 Tucano planes and 3 Y-12 aircraft of the IRGC flew over the Persian Gulf region.

Meantime, Fokker F27 Friendship planes and AB-212 and SH-3D helicopters of the Army and IRGC naval forces were present in the parades.

Also, Hormuz, Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf), Nour, Qader and Nasr missiles as well as ballistic Zolfaqar missile used to destroy marine targets were displayed during the Saturday parades.

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