What message is Iran sending by conducting military exercises on the border with Azerbaijan?

Baku/18.10.22/Turan: On Monday morning,  the ground forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began  exercises near the Araz River in the provinces of East Azerbaijan and Ardabil.

Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, announced that the exercises include “a helicopter operation, a night landing operation, the use of combat drones, and the construction of a (pontoon) bridge over the Araz River.

“The message of these exercises for neighboring countries is peace and friendship, strengthening stability in the region, and for enemies it is a demonstration of the readiness of the IRGC ground forces, together with other armed forces, to defend the country’s borders and respond decisively to any threat,” the Iranian military leader said.

What signals does Iran send by launching large-scale military exercises on the border the day before the Day of the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence? Are these exercises showing muscles to Azerbaijan? Why has Iran, which has been shaken by protests for more than a day, set its sights on Azerbaijan?

Political commentator Sadreddin Soltan answers these questions in the "A Difficult Question" program.

According to him, Iran is in a state of political turbulence, people are holding protests and one of the main demands of these actions is the refusal of women to wear the hijab.

“Wearing the hijab is one of the fundamental issues of the theocratic regime. The ongoing protests in the cities of Iran are directed against one of the fundamental principles of the Iranian regime. Against this background, a number of states and international organizations impose sanctions against the Iranian authorities. They accuse the Iranian leadership of violating human rights and condemn the numerous victims during the dispersal of protests. As you know, more than 200 people have already been killed, including children,” Soltan said.

In his opinion, the fact that Iran is conducting exercises against this background is not an accident. Soltan also noted that the current exercises conducted by Iran near our borders are the third in a row after the 44-day war and are much larger than the previous ones.

The observer noted that immediately before the start of the exercises, the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, made a speech in which, among other things, he stated that the change in the geography of the region is a red line for the Islamic Republic. Salami also said that neighboring countries "should not let Israel into their lands," Sultan said.