Press TV- Iran and Iraq have held a joint military exercise at�the mouth of the Persian Gulf in order to step up their readiness.


The Iranian and Iraqi naval forces staged the maneuver, dubbed "Muhammad (PBUH), the Messenger of God," on Monday with the purpose of improving mutual preparedness to fight smuggling and piracy and safeguarding maritime routes in the region.

A total of 32 Iranian and Iraqi vessels participated in the drill, the second joint maneuver between the two countries in less than a week.

The two countries� naval forces conducted the exercises with high precision and at a superior�level in adverse�weather conditions.

The Iranian and Iraqi navies staged their first joint maneuver on December 15 in the same area with the participation�of the commanders of the two countries� border guards.

The Iranian naval forces have�held joint military drills with many countries including India and Pakistan and Italy.

The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, said in November that Iran is also fully prepared to hold joint military drills with China.

In recent years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.

The Islamic Republic has conducted several military drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and to test modern military tactics and equipment.

Iran says its military might poses no threat to other countries, stating that its defense doctrine is based on deterrence.