TEHRAN: Thousands of fighters linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday showing their readiness to face “threats”.

The parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers comes after the weakening of Iran’s allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during wars with Israel. It also follows last month’s toppling by Islamist-led rebels of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, whom Tehran also supported.

Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos moved through the streets. Fighters in combat gear marched on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.

Some dragged coffins decorated with Israeli flags, as flags of Hezbollah flew along with Iranian and Palestinian banners.

A Guards commander, General Mohammadreza Naghdi, singled out Iran’s enemies the United States and Israel during the gathering.

The US, he said, was “behind all the misfortune in the Muslim world.”