September 22, 2005 :: News
Iran conducted a military parade today to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the beginning of what Iran calls “holy defense” week. The parade took place conducted south of Tehran, near the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini. At his first military parade since taking office, President Mamhoud Ahmadinejad addressed dozens of top Revolutionary Guard officials, as well as generals in the regular army. (The Revolutionary Guard operates Iran’s ballistic missiles.)“Those who decide to misuse our nation’s honour and dignity and want to test what has been tested in the past, should know that the flames of the nation’s wrath are very hot and destructive,” said Ahmadinejad. The parade’s announcer repeatedly cried “God is Great!” when six Shahab-3 missiles went past the presidential viewing platform. The announcer said too, “If world arrogance wants to attack Iran … [it] will destroy their countries with these missiles.” Some of the missiles had banners saying, “Israel should be wiped off the map” and “We will trample America under our feet,” “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel.” The banners and verbal attacks prompted a number of European military attaches, from France, Italy, Greece, and Poland, to leave the parade. One diplomat is quoted as saying, “there was a common position among the European Union members that, if the military parade included any slogans that attacked our allies, we would leave.”
The major media services report the display of the Shahab-3, but there were a number of others. According to a summary of the parade provided on live Iranian television (Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1) and translated via BBC Monitoring, the missiles displayed included:
- Shahab-3, 2,000km range
- Zelzal 1 and Zelzal 2, range 150-400
- M-11 Variant/Tondar-68, purchased from China, range 400km
- Nazeat
- “M-6”(see below)
- HQ-2 air-/missile-defense system, purchased from China
The reference to an “M-6” missile may well be a typographical error. It more likely refers to the M-9 variant, which Iran purchased from China. The term “Nazeat,” however, has been used to describe a primitive 150km range missile.
- M-9 missile, range 600km, purchased from China
Summary of parade provided by Iranian television:
0437 Parade by military police unit.
0441 Mohsen Torkashvand, a military man whose rank and position are not known, who was an Iranian radio presenter during the Iran-Iraq war, starts reciting the Koran by heart. He continues by reading out a poetic piece in praise of the Shi’i Imam. He is the announcer or master of ceremonies.
0444 Recitation of the Koran by Gen. Al-e Eshaq.
0452 President Ahmadinezhad speaks. He begins with the same Koranic verse he had read out at the beginning of his speech at the UN General Assembly last week. He praised Khomeyni, saluted the martyrs and the armed forces, mentioning the army before he mentioned the IRGC (Islamic Revolution Guards Corps). Ahmadinezhad said that the enemies were resolved to defeat the Iranian nation but the Iranians came out of the war victoriously. He said Iran was in favour of peace and friendship with other countries. He said anyone who wants to test Iran’s power once again, should know that they have to regret their deed later. He also said that there was a correlation between the continued occupation of Iraq and that country’s instability, and called for an end to the occupation. Ahmadinezhad thanked Iran’s armed forces for what he described as their achievements during and after the war. He called on them to be disciplined and creative and use the latest modern defence equipment. He finished his speech at 0502 gmt. The text of the speech has been translated and released separately.
0502 General Mohsen Sasani, the commander of the parade, orders the parade to begin.
0503 IRGC brass band starts the parade and sings a hymn. Throughout the parade, the master of ceremonies reads out poetic pieces in praise of the armed forces and the country’s leaders.
The following groups and units march past the podium:
0509 soldiers in wheelchairs.
051250 Camera shows the president and others on the podium
0515 Army brass band.
0522 IRGC military police.
0526 Cadets from Imam Ali military academy of the army.
0529 NCO college of the army ground force.
0530 Brigade 65 of ground force paratroopers.
0530 Ground force Division 23 commandos
0532 Ground force of IRGC, including three companies from the special forces shown in long shot. They chant Allaho Akbar, Payandeh Rahbar (Allah is the greatest, the leader is eternal).
0534 Two companies of Abitaleb division from Qom.
0535 Two companies of Division 27.
0536 Infantry colledge.
053810 Camera shows military commanders
0538 Artillery unit soldiers.
0539 IRGC armoured unit soldiers from the tank college.
0541 Tabriz Seyyedolshohada NCO college.
0542 Imam Hoseyn University unit of IRGC
0544 Shahid Sattari ground force airborne units.
0545 Air force students.
0546 IRGC air force personnel.
0548 Army naval force from Nowshahr.
0549 Naval force NCO students from Manjil.
0550 IRGC naval and amphibious forces.
0552 Basij volunteer forces.
0553 Camera shows Ahmadinezhad
0554 12 companies of IRGC Basij.
055512 Camera shows top commanders laughing
0558 Basij moving in dance-like movement, singing
0601 Basij in tribal costume
060230 Camera shows dignitaries sitting, watching as the Basij parade continues
060353 Camera shows military attaches watching the parade
0604 Ashura 2 battalions
0605 Police (law enforcement) brass band
0609 MC says police academy, special forces next to parade
0613 Paratroopers land.
0614 Police academy march past, army and IRGC paratroopers land
0614 Police special forces
061537 Camera shows police commander
0616 Defence Ministry personnel
0619 Paratroopers land, IRGC MP motocycle units
0620 Motorised units, MP patrol vehicles (Toyota)
0621 Prisoner carriers,motorcycles, army MP and VIP cars, patrol cars, personnel carrier trucks, logistic trucks, self-sufficiency crusade vehicles.
0627 Badr 4000 tank carriers
0627 Mobarez Tank, Zulfiqar Tank (described by the MC as a unique tank)
0628 T72-S tanks
0628 GLP bridges
0629 M 113 commander carrier, TOW missile carriers, M 113 carrying 120 mm mortar launchers
0630 Timaz tank carrier of land force of the army
0631 Long barrel artillery guns -not named
0631 Weapons of Group 99 of the army carrying Strela 3 missile launchers, Sahand 3 missile and 23 mm AA guns.
0632 Shelika artillery guns
0633 Missile unit parade
0633 Nazeat missile M6
0624 Weather forecast command cars and ateliers
0636 IRGC motorized units start marching past
0638 Tank T72 and tank T72-Z, Titan, BMP-2, Boragh carrier, Zelzal 1 missile launcher
0639 Zelzal 1 and Zelzal 2 missile, Fajr 5 missile launcher, 240 mm rocket launcher
0640 170mm and 122mm artillery guns, 155 mm IH guns of 27th division. followed by medical unit vehicles
0642 Derakhsh 8 chemical and microbiological decontamination units
0642 Communication (Mekhval) vehicles.
0643 Various cranes
0644 Army airforce units parade, bombs and missile said to be made in Iran (not named)
0646 Hawk missiles (marked as Nazeat and Zelzal)
0647 IRGC airforce and Shahab-3 missile, Fatholmobin, Tondar 69, Zelzal “to be used as deterrent”. At 0649 gmt as the Shahab-3 missile is put on display, the master of ceremonies says: “If the world arrogance decides to attack our dear country, it must know that the sons of the late Imam Khomeyni and the guardians of the jurisconsults will give it an unforgettable lesson and destroy it in the war zone by bombarding it with missiles.
0649 AA missiles
0650 MC talks about unmanned aircraft, TV shows devices which are apparently missiles
0652 Launch pads for Nazeat, Tondar 69, Shab, HQ-2, SAM 6, Launcher of Saeqeh and Hodhod and Mohajer unmanned aircraft, Misaq AA defence system.
0655 Stinger-like missile launchers on motorcycles
0656 Naval force motorised units parade begins
0656 SS, anti submarine, Darya AS missiles
0657 Iranian Police forces motorised units parade including various Mercedes Benz and Toyota cars and motorcycles.
0700 Special Guards Unit of the Police Force (Same brand-new cars)
0704 wrapping up the flags and end of ceremony.
» AFP Summary of parade
» Iranian TV account of parade, via BBC Monitoring
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Iran, Proliferation
» Missile details: M-9 variant, M-11 variant, Shahab-6, Zelzal-1/2/3
» Missile system details for: Hongqi-2 (HQ-2)
