Tehran:  Iran's official news agency says the country's army has finished a large military exercise near Iraqi border.

It was the first public word on the maneuvers. Iran announced in two months ago that it would hold war games in December - but there had been no announcement that they had started.

Usually, Iran's state media give extensive coverage of military exercises to show off weapons systems, and it was not clear why it did not do so for the latest mane0uvres.

Word of the latest exercises came indirectly, when the state news agency IRNA on Monday reported that two military officers were killed in a car accident as they came home after the end of "large" exercises by ground forces. The report gave no details on the maneouvres.