The Iranian Air Force began a massive 10-day aerial defense exercise on Tuesday, the quasi-official Fars news agency reported.

According to the report, The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) will hold extensive combat maneuvers in the country's northwestern regions.

The exercise, first announced in August, begins the day after a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report expressing "deep concern" over Iran's nuclear program surfaced in the international media.

Iran, which has been vocally concerned over potential strikes on its nuclear program by the United States or Israel, and begun moving its centrifuge operation underground to in the event of such a strike, denied the two were connected.

“The aerial exercise is held annually. It is fully domestic, and like in previous drills no other country will be participating in it,” Air Force Commander Brigadier-General Aziz Nasirzadeh told Press TV.

“The exercise will feature all of the Air Force and Army's combat aircrafts," Nasirzadeh added.

The maneuvers were announced in a joint press conference by Iranian Air Force Deputy Commanders Mohsen Darebaqi and Mohammad Alavi and General Hossein Chitforoush, the drill's spokesman.

The exercise, dubbed "Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Vellayat III" ("those sacrificing themselves for the homeland 3") will see the use of jets, aviation equipment, ammunitions and aerial tactics, in four phases across 10 days.

Iran will deploy fighter jets, fighter bombers, cargo and transportation planes, including F-4, F-5, Sukhoi SU-24 fighter-bombers, Mig-29 and the logistic C-130 planes as part of the exercises.

However, the S-300 air defense system, once hailed by Tehran as a critical element of its air-defense for its nuclear installations, is conspicuously absent. Tehran is suing Russia for declining to deliver the system after coming under intense international criticism for the sale.

In June, Iran's Revolutionary Guards held extensive war games – "Great Prophet-6" – which included the testing of various ballistic missiles.