Iran uses first joint SCO field drill to tout drone power, assert post-war resilience
The five-day drill includes participation from China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Iraq will also be present.
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.
