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How capable Iran to avenge the killing of Qasem Soleimani? The most discussed news of the moment in the world is the assassination of Iran’s powerful military commander, Kashem Solaimani. The United States killed him in a drone attack near Baghdad Airport in Iraq.Although US President Donald Trump said, ‘Kashem Solaimani was killed to stop the war, not to start another war’. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, condemned the killings and called for revenge.
In such a case, the BBC Online reports on the ability of the Iranian military. Their comments suggest that Iran’s military is ready to avenge the killings.
The Iranian military has an estimated 5,23,000 members. The International Institute for Strategic Studies, a UK-based research organization, has reported such information, consisting of 3,50,000 regular forces and at least 1,50,000 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard has more than 20,000 members working for the Navy. These members work to protect the surrounding waters, including the Hormuz system.40 years ago, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard was established to consolidate the Islamic system of Iran. Gradually, it became dominant in the country’s military, political and economic fields.
Kashem Solaimani was the head of the Quds Force, the branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. He is said to have changed the dynamics of the war in Syria and Iraq. He worked to strengthen the jihadist positions in Hezbollah and Palestine in Lebanon. He was responsible only to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader for his work.
A unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in Iran works for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They assist Shiite warriors with weapons to fight for them. Iraqi Shi’ite paramilitary forces are assisting in the fight against the Islamic State militant Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.
The United States says the Quds forces provide funding, training, weapons and military equipment to organizations that Washington sees as terrorist groups in the Middle East. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Islamic Jihad in Palestine are among the list.
Iran’s weapons imports are suffering due to economic crisis and sanctions. As a result, their weapons imports are much lower than other countries in the region. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Iran imports only 3.5 percent of the total weapons imported by Saudi Arabia between 2009 – 2018. Iran imports weapons from Russia and China.
Missile capability is an important part of Iran’s military strength. The US Defense Department reports that Iran’s missile power is the strongest in the Middle East; Particularly in the case of short-haul and mid-range missiles. Iran is experimenting with aerospace technology to improve the intercontinental missile.
According to data from the research organization Royal United Service Institute, Iran has stopped short-range missile projects due to the nuclear deal of 2015. However, the United States has been dealing with uncertainty over the deal’s effectiveness since the deal was signed. As a result, they suspect Iran may launch a long-range missile project. However, with the short and medium range missiles currently in Iran’s hands, it is possible to attack rival Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. They will probably hit Israel as well. In May last year, the United States strengthened its missile defense capabilities in countries in the Middle East as warming with Iran increased.
Iran has also increased its drone capabilities, despite many years of sanctions. Iran has been using drones for 2016 years to fight IS in Iraq. From Syria bases, Iran sends armed drones to Israel’s airspace. The US intelligence drone was destroyed in the Hormuz system in 2019 on the Iranian airspace infiltration.
According to Jonathan Marcus, the BBC’s defense and diplomatic correspondent, another major reason for the proliferation of drone technology in Iran is that they want to sell or share the technology with allies.
Drone and missile strikes in the 21st caused major damage to Saudi Arabia’s two major oil fields. The United States and Saudi Arabia were blaming Iran for the attack. However, Iran denies the allegations. Yemeni rebels have claimed responsibility for the incident, but the United States and Saudi Arabia do not believe it.
In the 2010, a large number of cyber attacks occurred in Iran’s nuclear technology sector. Iran has since emphasized the issue. It is believed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard has its own cyber management. Through this, they carry out commercial and military intelligence.
The US military report of 2019 says Iran has targeted telecommunications firms, aircraft builders, defense contractors, energy and natural resources companies to increase their cyber intelligence worldwide. That year, the US tech firm Microsoft said a group of hackers were working to hack the accounts of US presidential campaigns and hack US government officials. The hacker group is believed to be affiliated with the Iranian and Iranian governments.
News Room, Jan 04,2020
