ALWAGHT- According to a senior IRGC official, the Sahand-2025 drill demonstrates Iran’s leading role in SCO-backed multinational counterterrorism operations.
General Vali Ma’dani, IRGC Ground Force deputy for operations, announced that Iran is hosting the Sahand-2025 anti-terror exercise in East Azarbaijan Province after a two-year break. He noted that Iran submitted the operational plan to the SCO’s anti-terrorism committee a year ago, which was approved following detailed reviews and a five-day presentation in Uzbekistan. Iran is the fourth country to host this exercise.
The drill involves participants from Iran, Belarus, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, and Iraq attending as guests. Senior military and security officials, including 20 security officers, 60 staff commanders, and 40 operational unit commanders, are present from SCO member states.
Sahand-2025 spans five days, with the main phase lasting three days and involving the use of live ammunition throughout. This is the first field-operation exercise of its kind on Iranian soil, with the IRGC Ground Force leading based on its battlefield experience.
General Ma’dani emphasized that terrorism is a global threat without borders and hailed the IRGC as a key architect of counterterrorism cooperation. The exercise aims to enhance commanders’ knowledge, promote synergy against terrorism, and strengthen interaction and collaboration among participating countries.
