Commander says Iran has prepared for "global battles"

PanARMENIAN.Net - The acting commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami warns Israel will "definitely" face fierce retaliation if it attacks Iranian nuclear sites.

According to The Associated Press, Salami was quoted Thursday, Oct 18, by the semiofficial ISNA news agency as saying that Iran has prepared for "global battles."

He spoke on the sidelines of urban combat drills in Tehran by some 15,000 paramilitary fighters known as Basiji, who are controlled by the Revolutionary Guard. The exercises were dubbed "Ila Beit ol Moqaddas," or Toward the Holy City, meaning Jerusalem. The war games include drills on defending against mock air raids and other threats.

Meanwhile, the IDF conducted a drill testing preparedness in a case of emergency, Wednesday overnight and Thursday morning, JPost reports.

The exercise included several scenarios simulating possible emergency situations.The IDF emphasized that the drill was part of pre-planned annual exercises scheduled by the Defense Ministry.