Iran says it has maintained a large deployment of army ground forces along its borders since the February 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes, with units remaining on high alert amid continuing regional tensions.
Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi, commander of Iran’s Army Ground Forces, said the troops remain positioned in several border regions to respond to potential threats.
According to Jahanshahi, the deployment includes special forces, rapid-response units, mechanised formations and artillery units. He said the forces are operating at a high level of combat readiness.
Troops deployed across border regions
Iran has land borders with seven countries and maritime borders with six Gulf states.
Iranian officials have said Army Ground Force units are positioned across the country’s northwestern, western, southwestern, eastern, northeastern and southeastern borders, including the Makran coastal area.
Jahanshahi has previously said the continued deployment is intended to protect Iran’s territorial integrity and prepare the military to respond to possible threats.
The commander also said the presence of the forces along the borders has contributed to deterrence.
Iran reports drone interception
The military developments came as Iranian authorities announced another incident over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Army said its air-defence forces shot down a reconnaissance drone over the strategic waterway on Sunday evening.
According to the Iranian announcement, the drone was destroyed at about 6:30 p.m. using domestically developed air-defence systems deployed in southeastern Iran. Reuters footage reporting also described the incident, while noting that the claim came from Iranian authorities.
Tensions remain high
The continued military deployment comes against the backdrop of an ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Recent reports indicate that tensions around the Strait of Hormuz remain particularly significant because of the waterway’s importance to international shipping and energy supplies. Reuters reported on September 22 that commercial vessel traffic through the strait had fallen sharply amid the conflict.
For now, Iran says its border forces remain prepared to respond to potential threats as the wider regional crisis continues.
