  Iranian air force to start exercises in Persian Gulf on MondayJune 22, 2009 - 12:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's air force will start exercises on Monday in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman in order to raise "its operational and support capability", the official news agency IRNA said on Sunday."In this manoeuvre there will be long-distance flights of around 3,600 km (2,237 miles) along with aerial refueling from tanker to fighter jet and from fighter jet to fighter jet. "There will also be low altitude flights over the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman by Iranian fighter jets over distances of 700 km," it said. The plans for the military exercises were already announced some time ago. The IRNA report made no mention of protests in Iran over its disputed election.   Top stories 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". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Related sections Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
