Iran showcases new weapons as it prepares for a rocky 2025

Tehran, Iran – Iran's army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been showcasing and testing new defensive and offensive weapons in large-scale military exercises for the past three months. The country is preparing for another tumultuous year amid threats by the United States and Israel to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities, critical energy infrastructure, and military sites. Iran is also promising a third iteration of its major military strikes on Israel, in retaliation for Israeli attacks amid the devastating war on Gaza. The exercises – Eqtedar, Zolfaqar and Great Prophet – have been held across Iran, the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean. The weapons tested show Iran intends to maintain its defiance of Israel and the West, refusing to negotiate with US President Donald Trump under his "maximum pressure" policy and continuing to advance its nuclear programme.