Iran was carrying out what were described as its biggest military maneuvers ever, and spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today ordered armed forces to be ready for any eventuality in the Persian Gulf. Tehran radio, monitored in Nicosia, said Khamenei addressed ranking military officers taking part in the air-sea exercises, code-named Piroozi 1, or ``Victory 1.'' Iran has spoken strongly against the presence of foreign military troops in the gulf region confronting Iraq, and Khamenei referred to them as ``the enemy forces.'' He said Iranian military preparedness was important because its enemies are ``armed to the teeth.'' Iran stands ready to confront any unexpected situation in the region, he said. Iran fought a 1980-88 war with Iraq, but Iraqi President Saddam Hussein made concessions for peace after his armies invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2. The Iranian maneuvers appeared to present no conflict with the U.S.-led multinational force because they were taking place near Iran's southern islands, far from where the ships of the multinational force are deployed. The maneuvers reportedly began Wednesday, but were not mentioned in the Iranian media until today. The radio said the destroyer Sabalan, which was rebuilt after being severely damaged in March 1988 by the U.S. fleet protecting merchant ships in the gulf, was launched by Khamenei. The rebuilt destroyer will be taking part in the war games, the radio said. It did not provide other details about the maneuvers. The Islamic Republic News Agency, also monitored in Nicosia, said last month that the 10-day exercises would cover 12,000 square miles in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and involve 50 warships. Several helicopters and hundreds of speedboats were also taking part, IRNA said. The news agency had earlier described the maneuvers as the biggest war games ever conducted by Iran. IRNA said the maneuvers would include amphibious operations and landings, rescue of ``captured'' ships and underwater rescue of frogmen. Weapons to be used included surface-to-surface missiles and air-to-surface missiles, IRNA reported in November. Smaller naval exercises have been conducted by Iran since the Kuwait invasion. The dominant Islamic Republic Guards Corps, which has its own air, military and naval wings, and Iran's regular armed forces, have often been in involved in disputes. Such internal strife was to blame for a string of military defeats in the Iran-Iraq war, which finally forced Iran to accept a cease-fire in August 1988. Khamenei said he expected the guards corps and the navy to perform their duties ``100 percent united.''
