BANDAR ABBAS, Iran – Two medium-range cruise missiles were launched from Iran’s southern coast on Tuesday during the country’s massive war games.

The eight-day Velayat-89 maneuver started on May 5, covering a span of about 250,000 square kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz to the northern Indian Ocean.
The two surface-to-sea missiles successfully hit the mock targets, which were moving on the sea surface.
These missiles can be used against stable and unstable targets and targets floating on the sea surface.
The missile is equipped with a radar system, which enables it to identify the targets and destroy them. The missile can also evade radar system, since it has a short diameter and flies at low altitude.
Iran challenging U.S. in all international arenas
Iran has been challenging the U.S. in all political, military, scientific, and other arenas, Armed Forces Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi said on Tuesday.
“We have been able to challenge the U.S. not only in the sea but also in all international arenas,” Salehi said on the sidelines of the maneuver.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week Iran was challenging U.S. naval power in the Middle East with an array of offensive and defensive weapons.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Salehi said, “Simultaneously the Navy is protecting the Islamic Republic of Iran’s interests in Somalia’s coasts and the Gulf of Aden and by (participating in) real battles, (the Navy) is showing its capability and power to those aggressors that intend to attack Iranian ships.”
Salehi also said a foreign trade vessel, which was sailing in the Sea of Oman and away from Iran’s coastal waters on Monday night, caught fire and its passengers and crewmembers were lifted to Bandar Abbas by Iranian rescue helicopters.
The top commander added that Iran is powerfully guarding its territorial integrity.
“It has past the epoch when America would change the regime in a country by just dispatching a warship,” he added.
U.S. plane warned away when approaching Iran’s war games
Salehi said the military warned off U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, which was trying to approach naval maneuvers by Iranian troops on Monday.
“A U.S. reconnaissance aircraft which had intended to approach the area of war games and (military) operations left the area ...upon the timely warning of the air defense forces,” he stated