Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in a provocative move has launched a pontoon bridge on the northwesternmost river of Aras near the border with Azerbaijan Republic.
A video published by the IRGC-affiliated website Tasnim shows on Wednesday the ground forces set up pontoon bridges on the river for the armored vehicles and tanks to pass.
It has also been said in the video that installing these bridges have a message and the target audience will receive and understand.
The IRGC special forces also conducted heliborne operations with Mil Mi-17 helicopters on the third day of their wargames in the Aras region.
On the sidelines of the maneuvers Commander of the IRGC Hossein Salami threatened the neighbors that “Iran’s fraternity policy continues as long as there is no plot hatched by the enemies.”
“We have interests in this region, so if something happens in any corner of it, our interests will be jeopardized, then we won’t remain neutral and will defend our interests,” said Salami.
In the meantime, the IRGC has also published a tweet in Arabic saying, “When we split the waters and rescue you!”
Some social media activists have interpreted this tweet as a threat aimed at Azerbaijan Republic saying that since its establishment in 1979 the Islamic Republic has always tried to create crises outside its borders to make up for its inability to deal with domestic problems.
“That’s why the Islamic regime launched a war with Iraq to crack down on its opposition inside Iran back in the 1980’s,” says a video tweeted by a user.
In mid-September, Iran warned that it would not tolerate any seizure of territory from Armenia by Azerbaijan after military clashes broke out between its two northern neighbors.
Azerbaijani troops entered Armenia’s southern region in a move that seemed aimed at seizing territory and cutting off Armenia from Iran. Tehran has warned that it will not tolerate losing its land connection with Yerevan.
Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of attacking its towns to avoid negotiating over the status of the mainly Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh inside Azerbaijan.
Tehran in the past has also expressed alarm at alleged Israeli military presence in Azerbaijan.
The provocative launch of pontoon bridge and Iran’s message to its neighbors come at a time that the clerical regime has received the strong message from protesters who now shout, “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to Dictator” every day and night to topple the regime.