The "Fedayeen for Iran" drills began in Tehran on Friday morning, with 313,000 Iranians taking part, according to the Mehr News Agency. The gathering marks Sacred Defense Week and the 200th night of the Iranian people's steadfastness in the face of US-Israeli aggression.
The drill began at 8:00 am, with participants from across Iran marching from Imam Hussein Square and the nearby highway intersection toward Enqelab Square.
The drill is organized under the "My Life as a Sacrifice" initiative, run by the IRGC's Mohammad Rasoul Allah Corps. Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Mohammad Rasoul Allah Corps in Tehran, told Al Mayadeen that roughly 33 million Iranians have registered to join the initiative nationwide, with registrations in Tehran alone surpassing 400,000 ahead of Friday's event.
Hassanzadeh said that Friday's event was one of the largest drills and organized popular gatherings in the country's history, adding that "friends and enemies alike" would witness it.
Iranian officials have repeatedly affirmed that the Iranian people stand fully prepared to mobilize and make sacrifices in defense of their land, country, and national achievements.
Speaking to Al Mayadeen ahead of the drill, Hassanzadeh said Iran is now more prepared than it was before the 12-Day War and the Ramadan War, noting that Tehran operates within a defensive strategy to protect itself, its country, its values, and its people.
He stressed that the US and "Israel" failed to defeat or destabilize Iran, and that the hostilities against the country instead strengthened national cohesion.
"Throughout history, the Iranian people have proven that whenever they face aggression, they become more united," Hassanzadeh said.
Hassanzadeh said the IRGC holds extensive military capabilities and equipment that have not yet been disclosed, adding that Iran used only a portion of its capabilities in prior confrontations. He warned that Iran's adversaries would "experience these capabilities" if necessary.
He added that Iran's missile and drone production and development continue at full pace without interruption, and that Iranian forces have reached a higher level of readiness to respond to any aggression targeting the country.