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Tehran, Iran (CNN) Thousands of rifle-wielding troops parade across the plaza in lockstep to songs played by a brass band marching in formation.

Soldiers salute generals from the open hatches of tanks -- and, in one case, from what appears to be a manned torpedo -- as an arsenal of military hardware is whisked around the square on the back of giant flatbed trucks.

It's all part of a massive show of force as Iran kicks off its Sacred Defense Week under the watchful eye of President Hassan Rouhani.

Sacred Defense Week commemorates the beginning of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980. The war -- known as the "Sacred Defense" in Iran -- began when Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Iran and used chemical weapons against its forces. Hundreds of thousands died on both sides during the eight-year conflict.

Some very interesting sights at the Sacred Defense Week parade. #Iran #CNN A photo posted by Fred Pleitgen (@fpleitgencnn) on Sep 22, 2015 at 7:32am PDT

Overseeing the proceedings on Wednesday from a stage on the outskirts of Tehran, Rouhani praised the army for its efforts in a more recent war -- the fight against ISIS, which has seized control of large swathes of Syria and Iraq in the past year and a half.