TEHRAN -- A military parade was held in Tehran on Tuesday to mark the first day of Sacred Defense Week.

In Iran, the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war is known as the Sacred Defense, and Sacred Defense Week is held on the anniversary of the beginning of the war to honor the martyrs who died in the imposed war and all the other Iranians who made great sacrifices in the defense of their homeland.
Iran displayed its most sophisticated domestically produced ballistic missiles such as the Sejjil, Shahab 3, and Qadr in the military parade.
Various units of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps participated in the military parade.
An air show was also held, with overflights by jet fighters and bombers such as the F-4, F-5, MiG-29, and Sukhoi 24 as well as the domestically produced Saeqeh.
Drone aircraft, helicopters, and advanced missile defense systems were also displayed during the military parade.
Tactical planes, reconnaissance aircraft, refueling tankers, and several other Air Force planes also staged maneuvers during the air show.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Director Ali Akbar Salehi, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, who is the military advisor of the Supreme Leader, and a number of other officials attended the military parad