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 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 | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |