TEHRAN — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched a multinational counterterrorism exercise, marking the first time it has jointly conducted a field operation with Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states on Iranian soil.
Dubbed Sahand-2025, the five-day drill began on Monday in East Azerbaijan province, in the country's northwest, drawing participation from SCO member states including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Iraq "will be present as guests in this exercise," according to the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency.
Sahand-2025 features live-fire components, coordinated operations between special forces and the use of kamikaze micro-drones, a capability Iran has increasingly sought to showcase since its June war with Israel. State television released footage showing IRGC special units deploying small explosive drones in tactical scenarios designed to simulate urban and cross-border "terrorist" threats.
IRGC officials said the first two days are dedicated to command-post planning and war-gaming, with full field operations involving senior military and security officials to follow. As part of the gathering, Iran will also include a ceremony honoring Iranian casualties from the 12-day war in June, an event Tehran has used to frame its confrontation with Israel as a strategic victory.
Speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, Deputy Commander for Operations of the IRGC Ground Forces Brig. Gen. Vali Ma'dani said Iran considers the drill a "strategic milestone" following its accession to the SCO in 2023. He expressed the "armed forces' pride in hosting a joint counterterrorism exercise for the first time," with Iranian forces leading all ground operations.
Drone flexing and post-war messaging
The participation of both traditional SCO heavyweights — China and Russia — and regional players such as Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan underscores Tehran’s effort to project an image of expanding diplomatic and military engagement despite ongoing tensions with the West. It also suggests that Iran seeks to showcase its military strength just months after a war in which Israel heavily struck Iranian military sites, exposing significant vulnerabilities in Tehran’s defenses and severely damaging its command-and-control leadership and infrastructure.
IRGC-affiliated media have highlighted the event's tactical significance, timing, structure and high-level attendance as a signal of confidence in the Islamic Republic's military institutions following months of regional instability.
A notable feature of the drill is the IRGC's deployment of suicide micro-drones, a rapidly expanding element of Iran's military doctrine. The short-range systems — several models of which have surfaced in conflicts from Ukraine to Yemen — allow Iranian forces to simulate swarm attacks, make precision strikes and sabotage operations.
State TV footage showed IRGC special units employing these drones during tactical rehearsals, suggesting that Iran is integrating them not only into offensive operations but also into counterterrorism scenarios framed around urban environments and asymmetric warfare.
There is precedent for this sort of display. Since June, Iranian commanders have repeatedly used public events to project a narrative of renewed strength, claiming that the country has emerged from the conflict with valuable new experience. In official messaging, Sahand-2025 has been presented both as a display of “resilience” and as a platform for strengthening multinational partnerships. By hosting a large-scale SCO drill featuring prominent demonstrations of drone warfare, the IRGC aims to shift the regional conversation away from Iran’s vulnerabilities and toward its aspirations for a leadership role.
Push to widen Eurasia footprint
The exercise also ties into Iran's broader push to anchor itself within Eurasian defense structures. Since joining the SCO in 2023, Tehran has prioritized security cooperation with the region as a pathway to political legitimacy, economic partnerships and a counterweight to Western-imposed isolation.
In its official narrative, Iran has consistently framed SCO membership as part of a “pivot to the East,” intended to integrate the country into regional decision-making networks dominated by Russia and China. Thus, hosting Sahand-2025 allows the Islamic Republic to showcase its military capabilities, present itself as a reliable security partner in the aftermath of the war, and strengthen diplomatic channels with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Azerbaijan. Ultimately, it also serves to signal defiance toward the United States and other adversaries by conveying that Tehran is not militarily isolated.
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