MOSCOW, January 30 (RIA Novosti) - The Iranian Navy on Wednesday launched a three-day exercise in the Persian Gulf to rehearse rapid deployment in crisis, the Press TV said.

The drills, codenamed Fath (Victory) 91, aim to assess the combat readiness of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Marines, as well as air defense, naval patrol, and missile units, IRGC Navy commander Rear Admiral Seifollah Bakhtiarvand said.

“Since the end of the [1980s] war, the IRGC has strengthened and configured its defense projects based on the worst-case scenarios,” the commander said.

In December, the Navy held six-day naval drills to demonstrate the country’s capabilities to defend its maritime borders and maintain lasting peace in the region.

The drills covered a vast area including the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, north of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.