March 31, 2006: Iran starts War Games dubbed "Holy Prophet" in Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman

According to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's war games have kicked off despite the three earthquakes earlier today.

The IRNA report follows:

A joint maritime wargame, dubbed as Holy Prophet (PBUH), started here Friday in the Persian Gulf waters.

Combatants from the navy and airforce of the Islamic Republic Army and police, missile units of the air force and Basij (voluntary) forces took part in the joint wargame.

Some 17,000 of combatants have taken part in the wargame, spokesman of the wargame Vice-Rear Admiral Mohammad Ibrahimi Dehghani said on Friday.

Over 1,500 gunboats along with all types of fighters, bombers and choppers have taken part in the wargame, he pointed out.

One unit of Shahab 2 missile is to be launched to resemble peace and friendship among littoral states of the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, he said.

During the wargame various anti-offensive operations, telecommunications, satellites, reconnaissance patrols and electronic systems are to be conducted against the hypothetical enemies.

The wargame would be concluded on April 6.

April 3, 2006: Russian General Staff Chief refuses comment on Ukraine's transfer of 250 nuclear warheads to Iran

The following report this morning from Interfax addresses the possible transfer of 250 nuclear warheads to Iran.

Given the news coming out of Iran's war games, this is something that needs to be seriously investigated.

The "point of no return" in Iran's nuclear program may have long since come and gone...

Russian General Staff Chief Refuses To Comment on Transfer of Warheads to Iran

MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax) - Chief of the Russian General Staff Yury Baluyevsky does not have information confirming Ukraine's alleged transfer of 250 nuclear warheads to Iran or any other country.

"I do not make comments on unfounded reports. Anyway, the Russian General Staff does not have information confirming the alleged transfer of 250 nuclear warheads from Ukraine to Iran," he said in Moscow on Monday.

Ukraine transferred several hundred nuclear warheads to Russia in the early 1990s. Some Russian media outlets claimed that 250 of them were lost and might have appeared in Iran or some other country.