Five navies led by US begin naval exercise Sunday, Oct. 29, off Persian Gulf Iranian coast. Iran’s armed forces on high alert, its air force chief replaced

The Western navies are to practice tactics for blocking the smuggling of nuclear weapons and components. Iran’s armed forces responded at once by declaring a high state of preparedness and branding the war games “adventurous.” Their alert encompassed the joint naval units of the military and Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf, while the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian army, navy and air force were placed on “yellow” alert, one level short of full war.
Also Sunday, supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei replaced Iran’s air force chief, Karim Qavami with Brig Gen Capt Ahmad Miqani, on the recommendation of the Revolutionary Guards commander.
In September, the outgoing air force chief, a US-trained pilot, commanded Iran’s military maneuvers which tested a new air defense system, fighter planes and laser-guided bombs. debkafile‘s Iran sources report that Khamenei did not approve of Qavami’s admiration of America’s military capabilities – especially the US air force’s advanced aircraft and equipment. He was wont to speak out at general staff meetings in favor of procuring a new air fleet the better to stand up to a possible US attack. His successor follows the supreme ruler unquestioningly and has complete faith in the ability of Iran and its air force to match the US and its air might.