Iran says its routine military maneuvers are directed at enhancing its combat capabilities and examining newly-devised defense tactics.

The Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said Saturday that the recent threats issued by Israel and the US have prompted Iran's Armed Forces to hold military exercises on a regular basis.

The United States and Israel accuse Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of making efforts to develop nuclear weaponry.

This is while the latest report by the UN nuclear watchdog conceded that the agency has found no 'components of a nuclear weapon' or 'related nuclear physics studies' in Iran.

While Washington refuses to take military option against Iran off the table, Tel Aviv has on many occasions threatened to launch air strikes against Iranian nuclear installations.

In early June, Israel conducted a military maneuver over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which according to the Pentagon was in preparation for an aerial bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) responded to the Israeli maneuver in early July by holding an extensive military drill, during which Iran test-fired its upgraded Shahab-3 missile equipped with a one-ton conventional warhead and capable of hitting targets within a 2,000-kilometer range.

The Iranian minister reacted to Israeli threats by saying that 'Israel should firstly address the internal issues it is struggling with'.

"The Iranian nation does not fear threats posed by Israel and its ally, the United States," Brigadier General Mohammad-Najjar stated.

The Iranian defense minister went on to restate the country's defensive doctrine and said, "Iran's power is defensive and while we do not intend to attack any country, we will stop at nothing to protect the country's sovereignty".

In reaction to war threats, Iran has also launched a campaign for self-sufficiency and has been making efforts to revamp its military equipment.

Brig. Gen. Mohammad-Najjar said that all military equipment put on display during the military maneuvers are domestically-manufactured, adding that during such drills Iranian equipment are also tested.

CS/HGH