TEHRAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran is to launch a massive military maneuver in the Gulf as of Friday, the official IRNA newsagency reported on Wednesday.

    Admiral Morteza Saffari, Naval Force Commander of Iran's elitemilitia - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was quoted as saying that the naval and ground forces of the IRGC, the Armed Forces and the Disciplinary Forces (police) would participate in the war game.

    The maneuver will last till April 6 near the northern coasts of the Gulf, and over 17,000 soldiers and 1,500 naval vessels of various types and sizes will join the operation, Saffari announced. "The entire armed forces are fully ready to defend the territorial integrity of the motherland, which will be displayed during the war game," Saffari added.

    Iran's announcement of staging the large-scale military maneuver came as members, especially the five permanent members, of the UN Security Council were discussing future measures over the country's disputed nuclear issue.

    The United States, Britain and France are pushing for tough measures at the Security Council against Iran, but the move was opposed by Russia and China, which are afraid that harsh means would run counterproductive.

    Accusing Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, the U.S. and Israel have threatened to launch preemptive attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.

    In response, Tehran says that it will counterattack any invasions and is capable of defending the Islamic Republic. Enditem