"The massive drills dubbed Velayat-97 of the Iranian Army Navy will start tomorrow and will last for three days", Khanzadi said as quoted by Iranian Army's press service.
READ MORE: Iranian Ships Reportedly Fire Rockets Near US Aircraft Carrier in Persian Gulf
According to the commander, the manoeuvres will cover a total area of 2 million square kilometres (772,000 square miles) across the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.
The exercises will consist of four stages, one of which will involve training in conditions of real war at sea, the commander said, adding that warships, submarines and aircraft will be involved. Missile launches are also planned as part of the drills, the commander added.
Iran periodically conducts naval exercises in the area, which happens to be a key route for transporting oil from the region.
