Tehran, Iran, September 3
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
The commanders and officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army at Khatam Al-Anbia Air Defense Base met with Supreme Leader and Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces Ayatollah Ali Khamenei September 3.
The meeting came amid increasing tensions with Washington, which has passed new sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program.
During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to serving on the front line of encountering threats as a valuable opportunity for the brave, faithful, and honorable forces in the Air Defense Base, adding, “Great things have been done at the base which show strong determination, motivation, and abilities of the force,” the leader’s official website reported.
He mentioned the unique role that human resources can play in promoting different sectors, including the Armed Forces, and stated: “With unceasing work and effort, you must flourish the many qualities of human resources, putting them to service the needs and vacancies within the country.”
On the sidelines of the meeting, Farzad Esmaili, commander of the air defense base, reported the latest achievements in his field of responsibility.
He said Iran has tested its home-grown air defense system, designed to match the Russian S-300.
“In parallel with the deployment of the S-300, work on Bavar-373 system is underway,” Esmaili said.
Bavar (which means "belief") is Tehran's first long-range missile defense system, and is set to be operational by March 2018, he added.